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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
100th Anniversary Celebration
December 30, 2004
Palace Hotel
San Francisco, California
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Father Michael G. Pappas, Economos
In the Book of Ecclesiastes we read, "For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born and time
to die; a time to plant and a time to reap; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; For everything there is
a season and a time for every purpose under heaven."
This evening's celebration is very much a celebration of seasons, one hundred years of seasons, forty-nine years of seasons and the
commencement of a new season for our historic and beloved Church of the Holy Trinity.
On that profound and momentous evening in late June of this year when, at the Metropolis House, I was presented to the Parish Council of Holy
Trinity as their new priest, our beloved Metropolitan Anthony gave us our first assignment. Before the sun set on the 100th Anniversary year
of Holy Trinity we were to labor tirelessly to put on a celebration dinner worthy of the occasion and to honor the priest who served this
parish for nearly half of its history. The smile on Metropolitan Anthony's face when he gave us the challenge spoke volumes of his confidence
in our abilities and the sparkle in his eye conveyed his anticipation of celebrating the night with us. We would not let him down and we have
not. Those who knew Metropolitan Anthony and knew him well will agree, he lived life with zeal and encouraged those around him not to waste
even a precious moment. And so, to honor his memory, we celebrate tonight in his spirit, with the faith and the knowledge that he joins us,
blesses us, and takes pride in our milestone observance. + May his memory be eternal.
To speak of Holy Trinity's history would be (to paraphrase the title of the classic Dickens novel) to speak of the Tale of Two Histories -
the first 50 years and the second 50 years.
At last count, Your Grace, there were five cathedrals in the Metropolis of San Francisco, five cathedrals, but only one Mother Church of the
West. Holy Trinity is the oldest Greek Orthodox Church west of Chicago and the eighth oldest on the continent. Our history is rich and it
is fascinating.
The presence of the first Greek settlers of record in San Francisco dates back to 1878. Until the year 1894 these first immigrants worshiped
at the Saint Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Church which later was renamed Holy Trinity Cathedral, now located on Green Street.
Beginning in the year 1894, this small community began to organize and attempted to establish a Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco. After
several failed attempts, the year 1903 marked the realization of their many prayers and dreams. With the great sum of $2,500 in pledged funds
in hand, a site at 7th and Folsom was purchased and on Christmas morning of the same year Holy Trinity's first Divine Liturgy was celebrated
by Fr. Constantine Tsapralis. Thus, our history began.
For those who were overwhelmed by the destruction caused by this past February's horrific mudslide, be reassured that natural disasters at
Holy Trinity are no new phenomenon. In 1906 the first sanctuary was destroyed by earthquake and fire. Just a year later construction began
anew on the property located at 345 7th Street, where our faithful worshiped uninterrupted and continuously until the year 1964.
So many of those gathered here this evening remember with profound emotion that precious church where their lives were forever touched and
forged through baptisms, weddings, funerals and the memories of community life. Hearing so many wonderful tales of old, I find myself making
the sign of the cross, with great sentimentality, each time I pass that shiny gold dome on 7th Street. By the grace of God, it remains an
Orthodox sanctuary to this day.
"For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven." A native son of San Francisco would be called home … a native
son baptized at Holy Trinity would be entrusted to shepherd his own … and thus, with their new pastor, Father Anthony Kosturos, a new season
would begin for the faithful of Holy Trinity, a season which would last 49 blessed years. A ministry defined by love, sacrifice, faithfulness,
discipline, humor, vision and hard work. Father Anthony defied even the words of the Gospel, that "A prophet is not without honor, except in
his own country and in his own house." Both, in his native San Francisco and in the home he made with his precious Presvytera Mary and his
seven children, Nick, Elaine, James, Ted, Paul, Paula and Marina, this prophet was both beloved and revered.
On June 19, 1955, which happened to be Father's Day that year, Father Anthony celebrated his first Liturgy at Holy Trinity. His first years
at Holy Trinity would present the challenge of how to effectively minister in an aging sanctuary with limited space, to a flock which was
demographically moving out of the heart of the city to the Sunset and Richmond districts of San Francisco and to the Westlake District of
Daly City. Embracing the spirit of a missionary, Father Anthony inspired and led his flock to Brotherhood Way, formerly Stanley Drive.
Blessed with a visionary and enthusiastic Parish Council under the strong leadership of President George Kartinos, and a Building Fund
Committee headed by the very capable Chairman, Dr. Gus Kerhulas, priest and laymen worked tirelessly, hand in hand, to raise the required
funds to secure at auction the 8 ½ acre parcel and build the magnificent sanctuary which we enjoy today. The memories of those formative
years, the risks taken, the stress endured and creativity and energy harnessed, forged relationships among the faithful, the bonds of which,
by the grace of God, created a foundation at Holy Trinity which has helped to sustain and grow the parish to this day.
A task which might have broken a priest of lesser faith and metal, Father Anthony was not daunted. With patience and perseverance,
construction on the sanctuary broke ground in 1961, was dedicated in 1963 and saw the celebration of the first Divine Liturgy in January of
1964. Consecrated by Bishop Demetrios of Olympos in 1967, this towering architectural marvel, with its countless breathtaking mosaics,
strikes a chord of holiness and awe in the hearts of all who pass through its threshold.
Not satisfied with this incredible achievement, Father Anthony realized that there was more work to be done. As one who had benefited from
parochial education and church affiliated athletic competition, it was Father Anthony's deep seeded desire to impart to his spiritual children
like benefits. Thus, the cornerstone of his ministry in the years to follow would become focused on nurturing the youth.
In 1971, when issues of busing and permissive moral values complicated an already challenging public education system in San Francisco, Father
Anthony, encouraged by parents of the parish, established the only canonical Orthodox parochial school in Northern California. Not only did
Father Anthony, with the great generosity of benefactress, Daisy Jerome, build the school, but also became its principal, recruiting devoted
administration and faculty, teaching, disciplining and nurturing over three decades of graduates; Graduates who left Holy Trinity well
grounded intellectually, spiritually and socially; Graduates who were accepted at San Francisco's finest High Schools; and graduates who went
on to forge successful careers.
But in Father Anthony's eyes there was still more work to be done! With a passion for basketball since his days at Sacred Heart, Father
organized and became the Father Commissioner of the Orthodox Youth Athletic Association. His love of sports found him virtually at every
game cheering on Holy Trinity's teams, and some times even giving animated pointers to the referees.
It was this passion which, in 1993, inspired Father to approach his longtime friend and Holy Trinity favorite son, the legendary former Mayor
George Christopher, to share in his vision for a center where families could gather and young people could engage in athletic competition.
Offering this magnificent Center in memory of his beloved wife, Tula, Mayor Christopher became this project's greatest benefactor along with
so many other parishioners who financially supported this cause. The fruits of Father's vision can be seen and experienced firsthand
virtually every night of the week, from Basketball and Dance Practice to those working out in the weight room to meetings, Bible Study and
Greek School, the Center has become a vibrant hub of activity for young and old alike.
These three buildings, Church, School and Center, stand as a concrete legacy to the vision and tireless effort of this exemplary priest. If
Father will be remembered for anything, though, it will be for his pastoral sensitivity and for the caring he extended to his flock. He
sacrificed much in life for his spiritual children, spending countless hours ministering in times of trial, crisis, infirmity and grief. As
the years passed, the children he baptized where the very children he married and buried. His faith, wisdom, dedication, self discipline and
love have earned him well deserved respect and a sacred place in the hearts and minds of his fellow priests, his spiritual children and all
who came to know him. We give special thanks to God for sending him home to Holy Trinity and to his family for sharing him with us for a
blessed 49 years. His reward for all of these good works enumerated, he enjoys today, as this Priest of priests serves with joy at the
heavenly altar, praying for us as we pray for him. + His memory will be eternal.
And as we have paid tribute to our beloved Father Anthony, so to do we pay tribute to you, to your parents and grandparents who collectively
have made the history that we are remembering this evening. Your names and those of your forebears were too numerous to acknowledge
individually, without running the risk of insult by omission. Nevertheless, take pride tonight in the special role which you and your
families have played and the blessings you have reaped in the rich history of our beloved Mother Church.
"For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven." Today my beloved, we embark on a new season, the second
century of our remarkable history. If we desire to sincerely honor the memory of Father Anthony and all of those who, with deep faith,
unconditionally labored and sacrificed, so that we, today, might enjoy this multitude of blessings; let us commit ourselves to emulating
their example. Let us be a people whose vision will be translated into works worthy of the rich tradition of our historic community… and in
a 100 years, when generations-to-come glance at photographs of this evening and reflect on our contributions, may they be able to extol
our works with the same pride and zeal, as we have done this evening. If that happens, we will have truly glorified God in our lifetime
and lived the life He intended for us.
May God Bless you and may He Bless our beloved Church of the Holy Trinity!
Fr. Michael Index
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