Major Milestone Reached
HOLY RESURRECTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
ACHIEVES MAJOR MILESTONE IN EXPANSION PROJECT
Brookville, NY - Holy Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church is pleased to announce a significant achievement: after years of careful financial planning and unwavering community support, we have officially paid off our contractor, Pav-Lak Contracting, Inc. A more detailed letter will follow addressing the remaining four-million-dollar balance on our Line of Credit. For now, we are deeply grateful to Pav-Lak for their flexibility, as the project was formally completed in early 2024. During this time, our community has had the opportunity to use the facility, creating cherished memories and allowing our ministries to thrive.
As we approach Holy Week and the Resurrection of our Lord, the increased liturgical schedule and sacredness of the season affords us a tremendous opportunity to reflect and deepen our love for God. The sad part is that not every family will take advantage of this spiritual opening. Some of our faithful have drifted away from the Church and have disconnected from their faith. A priest recently shared an important thought with me. He said, “the Christian faith is always one generation away from extinction. If we do not pass on the faith to our children, it dies with us.” As I reflected on this statement, I was inspired to think, with the help of God, on how best to respond to this challenge.
For this reason, our focus must now turn to the heart of our mission as a church. In essence, to reconnect families who have not yet returned to the Church. To offer these families the beauty of our worship and of knowing Christ. This is not just about numbers; it’s about gathering souls. It’s about rekindling relationships with Christ and ensuring that every member of our community feels loved, welcomed, understood, and administered to.
Over the past five years, hundreds of families have celebrated sacraments with us. Sadly, not all of them have remained active in our parish life. I’ve baptized over 200 children in the past five years, but the number of baptisms doesn’t reflect how many continue to attend services. For example, if each child attended church with their parents—assuming two children and two parents per family (800 people)—our services would be filled to capacity, and we’d need two churches to accommodate just those baptized in the last five years.
This challenge is now our primary focus. The real work begins in trying to bring these families back and deepening their connection with God and His Church. The expansion of our facilities was always about fostering spiritual growth. Now, we need your help to bring these families back to the Church. All of us know someone who has not been in church for a while. Someone who has drifted a bit. With your support, we can bring them back. We can increase the impact of Christ on their lives. Imagine our church, filled with our entire church family, standing in faith!
In the coming weeks, we will reach out with practical ways to involve you in this sacred endeavor. For now, think of someone and invite them to join you for one of our services. Send their names so we can get them on our mailing list.
Please pray for us, that the Lord grants us the wisdom and strength to stay focused on bringing our faithful back to Him.
With love in the Risen Lord,
Fr. Panteleimon Papadopoulos