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1972 – Present
Through the strength, resolve and faith of the people, the community embarked on the next arduous task of rebuilding the community at a new location. Prior to the official move to the community’s current location, an interim period took place for the next three years. This allowed time for the design and construction of the new church and school. The community was fortunate in finding a temporary home for Koraes and its religious services at the First Church of the Nazarene at 8345 South Damen Avenue. It was cramped, but Koraes continued in mobile classrooms and all religious services, including weddings, baptisms, and funerals were held at this location. Even though several parishioners held their weddings and baptisms at sister parishes, they never lost hope that a new facility would be built. Groundbreaking ceremonies for this edifice took place on the Feast Day of SS. Constantine and Helen in 1974 with the school and auditorium being built first. The parish celebrated its first Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday of 1975 in the new auditorium, which later became the gym. It was named in honor of the man whose efforts provided the parish with the opportunity to move successfully and construct a new school, auditorium and church debt free. The total cost of the project was completed with the sum of $3,500,000. On May 21, 1976, precisely two years after construction began, His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos officiated at the Thyranoixia (Door Opening) Ceremonies. The current church complex has an impressive gold dome and cross in the modified neo-Byzantine style. Twelve distinctive stained glass windows grace the church’s interior. The Byzantine iconography includes the Pantocrator and Platytera. The brass iconostasion and chandeliers are elegantly crafted, and the marble solea is embedded with the mosaic Byzantine eagle. The parish of SS. Constantine and Helen held its consecration ceremony on May 11, 1980. This was the 1650th anniversary of the consecration of Constantinople, founded by St. Constantine the Great. The steps of this service included baptizing, anointing, sanctifying, consecrating and dedicating the church of God as an Orthodox Christian house of worship. As in the preceding periods, pastoral leadership was and continues to be very paramount to the success of the community and the development of its spiritual ministries. Father Byron’s loving and patient leadership traits have become noted throughout the Archdiocese. Several young priests from the seminary have come to serve and learn under Father Byron’s tutelage. They in turn have gone on to become pastors at their own parishes throughout the country. Each has brought a new dimension to the community. Their personalities have had an impact on the community and the community life. Everyone has brought something unique to the table. Father Alexander Karloutsos had a cosmopolitan view of the world that he related to parishioners either through sermons or dealing with individuals in all age groups. He moved on to serve our Archdiocese in a variety of capacities spreading the word of Orthodoxy from a small town parish to the Oval Office. Father Dean Paleologos shared his humility and spirituality by offering an example of Christian love to young and old. He is currently the dean of St. Spyridon Cathedral in Worcester, MA. Father Kosmas Karavellas demonstrated his zest for life when he shared the Christ in him with the Christ in us. He is pastor of SS. Constantine and Helen Church in Annapolis, MD. Father Nicholas Jonas energetically developed new ministries and further developed existing ones, thereby increasing our spiritual awareness. His administrative talents were recognized by the Archdiocese and he was assigned to Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Orleans, LA to assist with the upcoming Clergy-Laity Congress. Father Nick’s love and respect for Father Byron and our parish brought him back to our community a few years later where he once again served as an assistant and is now the pastor. During the past two decades, the parish has had several pastoral assistants to help ensure the success and implementation of the many programs taking place in the community. James Greanias, Peter Spiro, Tom De Medeiros and Chris Avramopoulos, have served under the guideful hands of both Father Byron and Father Nick, training them in the liturgical life of our parish as well as our varied ministries. Time has seen them serve the Orthodox Church as priests and in other spiritual capacities. The visions of the original founders remain alive today. The parish has seen a continuation of the many programs implemented during the previous church periods, as well as the inclusion of many new ministries and programs. With all the parish offers, the present facilities are utilized seven days a week. Even though fundraising efforts were not needed to finance the construction of the parish facilities, it has been necessary to reach out to the parishioners to help fund the ministries and programs as well as maintain the facilities of the community. Over time, the parish has slowly assimilated itself to “Americanize” in serving the people. There has been an increase in the use of English in the Divine Liturgy and other sacramental and liturgical services of the church. This has taken place because of the number of converts to the Orthodox faith and the growing number of people who do not understand or know the Greek language. This change in the community was the impetus for the creation of Road to Orthodoxy (convert classes). Father Byron organized the Spiritual Life Committee to promote spirituality among the faithful. This led to the formation of Adult Bible Study groups conducted in both Greek and English. As part of this committee, specialized classes have emerged to address current needs of the community, which include Journey to Oneness (pre-marital seminars) and Godparent Seminars. The youth continue to be an active segment of the community, engaging in religious, social, and athletic activities. The various segments of the youth program are focused on JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth ages 7-13), GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America grades 8-12) and YAL (Young Adult League-college and older). Throughout the year, many programs are conducted on both a parish and diocesan level to keep the youth involved. A majority of these programs evolved and grew during this phase of parish life. The Metropolis Junior Olympics, the “brainchild” of Father Kosmas, was first held in May of 1982. It has been nurtured and staffed by this parish ever since. This Memorial Day weekend event brings together over two thousand youth from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin for athletic competition and Orthodox Christian fellowship. This event has expanded since its inception. Originally, facilities at the church complex and Stagg High School were used. Now facilities at Moraine Valley Community College are utilized as well. Different sporting events have been added over time. The parish priests continue to be involved with the youth of the parish. Father Alex has led discussions in homes of young adults. Father Dean has led spiritual retreats. Father Kosmas, better known as Father Ike, did cartwheels and headstands with the children. Fr. Nick has played baseball with the youth. Father Panteleimon Dalianis has gone camping on the family camping weekends he has organized. In September of 1984, Father Kosmas began the JOY Basketball League. This and GOYA basketball have evolved over the years by providing opportunities for both boys and girls to participate on a competitive team. In 2004, pastoral assistant Tom De Medeiros began JOY Nite, a way for the younger members of the parish to learn more about their faith in a fun way. GOYA has weekly activities that bring the youth together. Also included is a teen discussion component which provides opportunity for the youth to engage in dialogue about the faith and issues they face in their everyday lives. GOYAns have the opportunity to participate in a yearly ski trip; a Great America outing; raise money with the Community Christmas Card and bake sales; and participate in philanthropic works, such as Christmas caroling, and nursing home visitations. The Young Adult group meets for social outings and religious discussions on a regular basis. Campus Ministries began as an outreach program for college students by providing a time for students of the Orthodox faith to gather on their college campus and engage in spiritual discussions with a parish priest. When the parish hosts the picnic, the community relies on the parishioners and our youth to provide necessary assistance needed for the set-up and clean up of the event. An added benefit of the festival is the support from the local community of Palos Hills and surrounding communities. Many come to this event for the Greek food and pastries. JOY basketball and soccer is very popular because of its popularity in the American culture. The Folk Dance Troupe have entertained spectators at the Festival, dinners, and other events by invitation. This group has afforded the youth a look at their Greek heritage through another venue. Learning the dances of different regions of Greece has enlightened them to learn about various costumes and differences within the Greek community. Another great adventure the youth of the parish can partake in is a trip to Ionian Village. This is an Archdiocesan Camp in Greece for 7th-12th graders. This is a wonderful opportunity for youngsters to make life-long friendships with others from across the country. Closer to home is Fanari Camp. This is an opportunity to become better acquainted with other Orthodox youth within the Metropolis. The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is an Archdiocesan speech competition dealing with religious topics. The parish expanded this event to include the Sights and Sounds Youth Festival. This expansion has allowed the opportunity for all youth of the parish, K-12, to celebrate their artistic talents. Talents judged are music, dance, painting, mosaics, drawing, clay building and others. Winners are awarded medals and ribbons for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Winners could be individuals or a group. To better involve the young ladies in the life of the church, the Sunday Church School organized the Handmaidens. The young girls, grades 5th-8th, serve the church with candle duty, Epistle reading, Narthex duty and monthly workshops. They learn about the church, conduct philanthropic projects, and help during Saturday of the Souls. Their patron saint is Saint Tatiana. This complements the service of our many Altar Boys who weekly and during Feast Days, serve our Lord’s Altar alongside our Priests with great dignity and strong faith. The parish has expanded the awareness of service to the community at large through Project Diakonia. This group has been involved with new ministries of our parish or expanding philanthropic programs conducted by other organizations within the parish, such as the food pantry, soup kitchen, I.O.C.C., missions, Holy Land outreach, orphanages, toy drive for DCFS and SAMP (support a mission priest). This outreach to the community and beyond is due in part to the education of the new generation, the increase of parishioners with professional careers, and the assimilation into the American culture. Another means of service orientation is Witness to Christ’s Love ministry. This is for persons who would like to participate in nursing home visitations. Orthodox Charities Weekend is held the last weekend in September including a bike/run/walk/skate-a-thon to raise money for various Orthodox charities. Participants approach sponsors to pledge money. Another aspect of this weekend is the blood drive. Members of the parish donate blood for local blood banks. Compassionate Support Group was begun to provide an opportunity for parishioners who have lost loved ones to come together to deal with their grief. The group is a support network for persons who have a difficult time coping. Changes in society prompted the formation of Orthodox Christians for Life. This is a Pan-Orthodox ministry “from the womb to the tomb” that the parish is actively involved in. An outlet provided for all senior citizens is the Golden Circle. This group is in cooperation with the Hellenic Foundation. Monthly activities, such as speakers, outings, or lunches are planned for the seniors. St. Helen Women’s Philoptochos continues to play a vital role in the life of the community. The bazaar has now become a craft show with outside vendors. There is also an extensive food festival during this event. As with the church festival, the Palos Hills community and outlying communities support this event. The Ladies Hellenic Society, Agia Paraskevi, has also remained an important component of the community life. The ladies continue to support the philanthropic efforts of the parish. Changes in society have brought changes to the parish in other ways. Computers are now an integral part of the day-to-day operations in the church office. Communication with the community includes e-mail messages. The church has a web site that is updated with articles and pictures regularly. Over time, many changes have also occurred at Koraes. The students now work in a computer lab. Greek instruction is only one period a day. Physical education takes place on a daily basis. There is a school band. Eighth graders wear caps and gowns for the graduation ceremony followed by dinner at a restaurant. A Pre-School program and full day Kindergarten are now offered. Sixth through eighth grades are departmentalized. School buses are no longer a means of transportation. Our parish shares a strong community relationship with the city of Palos Hills. The city council honored Father Byron by naming Roberts Road between 107th and 111th Street “Honorary Father Byron Way.” This was an honor the city wanted to bestow upon Father Byron, not only for the leadership he has offered the Greek community, but also the greater Palos Hills community. The community has attained the heights of Christian fellowship that the original founders had intended through the strong, compassionate, and consistent leadership of Father Byron. Father Nicholas Jonas succeeded Father Byron as pastor on June 4, 2006. He has put forth the challenge for the community beyond 2009. “In all that we do in our sacramental, educational, social, philanthropic, athletic and organizational ministries…we need to go forth…from the Altar to the streets.”This article was originally published in the Saints Constantine and Helen Church 100th Anniversary Commemorative Album
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