Holy Trinity Church, ca. 1910 |
The first Orthodox church in the Western Hemisphere was established in New Orleans. The "Eastern Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity" started holding services in 1864. Nicholas Benachi, a native of Greece, had been attempting for some time to secure financing to construct a church. |
First Greek Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere |
The second Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on North Dorgenois Street. |
By 1864, he hadn't raised the necessary funds, so he invited the first small congregation to meet on his property. Two years later, he sold a parcel of land on North Dorgenois Street to the church and, with generous donations from Mr. Benachi, as well as, Demetrios and John Botassis, a church was constructed. |
Later additions to the first church (pictured above) included a parish house, library and nearby cemetery. By 1950, a larger facility was needed and the first church was demolished to make way for a much larger building. |
In 1960, Holy Trinity Church was elevated to cathedral status. |
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral and Hellenic Cultural Center on Bayou St. John. |
Requiring more space for a larger Cathedral and Hellenic Cultural Center, the buildings on North Dorgenois were sold in 1976 and the congregation relocated to Robert E. Lee Boulevard, next to Bayou St. John. |
The Cultural Center was completed in 1980 and the Cathedral in 1985. The complex is a beautiful and striking addition to the Lakeview neighborhood. The founders of the first Orthodox Church in the Americas would surely be amazed to see how their small congregation has evolved. |
Many historical items were destroyed in the levee failure floods in 2005. The handwritten texts in sacramental journals that documented the church's baptisms were lost. But, by a stroke of good foturne, some items were saved because of an archival project that was under way at the time of the flood. |
The church recently held its 40th annual Greek Festival - a weekend of fun, food and entertainment that many New Orleanians eagerly anticipate every year. |
Photo Credits: 1910 photo is from "Hellenism in America," published 1918. Photo directly above is from NOLA.com |
The link to this page is: http://old-new-orleans.com/NO_Holy_Trinity_Greek_Orthodox.html A related page you might enjoy: Mr. Benachi's Legacy |
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