Welcome to our Website.
We encourage you to
browse our site to learn more about the Greek Orthodox
Christian Faith, our ancient and venerable heritage,
and the numerous ministries and programs of our wonderful
community that through the gracious efforts of our stewards
offer something for everyone to learn and grow in the
image and likeness of God within the context of good
Christian fellowship.
What is the Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Cathedral?
We are first and foremost a worshiping community. In
worship, we derive our identity, purpose, and being,
as a Body of faithful united in Christ our Lord, God
and Savior. As a Church, an assembly, we are a people
called out (summoned) by God to come together in one
place, in His Name, to worship the One God, at the One
Altar, partake of the One Loaf, drink from the One Cup,
and be united mysteriously, by His Divine Grace, in
Communion with Him, and therefore, united to one another
in His Love. As a Church, we are living, breathing members
of the Body of Christ; Christ is our Head. We, the People
of God, are the living stones of the Temple. We are,
therefore, a truly dynamic, worshiping community that
brings sacred scripture, the healing ministry of Christ,
His teachings, and Holy Tradition to life through worship,
philanthropy and education. In other words, we put our
faith into practice through our many programs, ministries,
and fellowship opportunities. Our worship teaches, reminds,
reinforces and bears witness to what we believe.
However, we teach
best by doing, and we emphasize living our Orthodox
Christianity—not just preaching it. For the most
part, we are the open books of scripture that people
will read. We are the greatest witness to the transforming
power, salvific message, and the life-giving hope of
the Orthodox Christian faith and the Great Church of
Christ. Hence, we emphasize a life in Christ and an
approach that treats life itself as a sacrament. So
if you truly want to know about the Orthodox Christian
faith, you really must experience it worship. For us,
our faith must be real and experienced. It is not just
an intellectual exercise, a sterile academic pursuit,
or a social obligation.
Our faith is a real,
beautiful, transfiguring experience, whereby all our
senses (our mind, body, and soul) are involved and offered
to God in worship, and we are mysteriously given the
foretaste of the everlasting joy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
In short, in worship together, we encounter God. Through
our approach to life, to one another, to God’s
creation, we, working together, and with God’s
permeating grace, can make the Kingdom of God real and
present.
There are many good
books and articles about the Orthodox Christian faith,
but there is no substitute for experiencing the Orthodox
Faith; for in the end, Orthodoxy (“correct”
or “right” worship whereby we give God His
due honor and glory as befitting His reputation) is
about being, about life. This is why the faith must
be experienced within the context of culture, not in
a void, not just from a book or a teacher. This gets
to the heart of our Incarnational theology.
God became man in
the person of Jesus Christ, in a particular time, in
a particular culture. God the Creator, in His infinite
love for us, became a part of His creation in order
to transform, liberate and redeem His creation. Therefore,
in time, within a culture, utilizing the elements of
His creation, in His sacraments, God mysteriously conveys
His grace to us. Our theology, our faith, our scripture,
and Christ’s teaching take flesh (become incarnate)
in worship and become real and tangible in order to
reach us and transform us totally in the best possible
way. Culture and Tradition, through hymns, ritual, poetry,
and sermons, give Christ’s teachings life, vibrancy,
and beauty, and therefore, make them real, present,
memorable and transforming. One cannot experience and
truly understand the essence of Orthodox Christianity
outside of worship and Tradition within culture.
We believe that we
are the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church established
by Christ Himself for the salvation of the world. We
believe in One God as manifested in Sacred Scripture
in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. †
We are therefore Trinitarian Christians. Sacred Scripture
(God’s Word) is the foundation of our belief.
We are the Church of the Seven Ecumenical Synods which
convened from 325 A.D. through 787 A.D. in order to
defend, articulate, and define the faith that was handed
down from Jesus Christ to His Disciples, and from them,
in unbroken succession through His Bishops. Our mission
is a simple one: to spread in word, in deed, by demeanor
and conduct, to the best of our abilities--while respecting
the freedom and immeasurable value of every child of
God for whom Christ died--the timeless and universal
Good News of eternal salvation in our Lord, God, and
Saviour Jesus Christ. This is the Divine Commission,
the Evangelical mission, given to each of us at our
Baptism.
We welcome you to
see the many worship services, programs and ministries
we offer at our Cathedral community. We are blessed
to be able to offer so many programs for our children
from newborns up to the age of eighteen through our
many youth groups. In addition, we have lectures series
on the Orthodox Tradition , Orthodox Theology 101/Catechism
classes, Bible Studies, Marriage Preparation classes,
programs for our young adults, philanthropic and charitable
endeavours (our Ladies Philoptochos Society), one of
the best Choirs in the country, a great Sunday/Church
School Program, a dynamic and enthusiastic Greek School,
a terrific Dance Program, a new Parochial School (Holy
Trinity Academy), and parent organizations (OPA) as
well—just to name a few.
You will notice that
each organization, ministry, and group has there own
section. We encourage you to see what each group offers
and come and see! Our parish has a weekly Church Bulletin
for worship, which contains the scriptural readings,
hymns and saints of the day, and a take home sermon
for you to share the redeeming message of Christ with
your friends, co-workers, and neighbors. As stewards
of the community, you will also receive our parish’s
monthly Newsletter, The VOICE, which contains lessons,
and information and updates of what is happening from
every group in our Cathedral community, along with a
monthly calendar. In addition, stewards of the Cathedral
will receive periodic lessons in the mail with a schedule
of services to keep the faithful abreast of what is
happening and where, and to teach those who are unable
to come to the Cathedral the many lessons offered on
the Orthodox Christian faith. For those who are interested
in learning more about the Greek Orthodox Christian
faith and our rich, ancient heritage, we have established
links for your convenience on our website.
Thank you for visiting.
May the Lord God bless you and keep you.
†Rev. James T. Paris
Dean
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