The Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, New York, marks a historic milestone as construction of the new church and community center begins, and concludes the church’s seven year struggle to build a new church providing appropriate and adequate space for the growing community’s faithful religious, cultural and social needs.
The construction of the new church succeeds the celebration of Easter, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and signifying renewal, and new beginnings for the community at large.
The new cruciform sanctuary will be constructed in the tradition of 6th century Byzantine architecture, complete with a 60 foot high copper dome. Eventually, the church’s interior will be covered with colorful panels of traditional Orthodox iconography depicting the life of Christ and many Orthodox Saints. “The church is designed to draw all of the faithfull’s senses and attention to prayer and toward God,” according to the church’s pastor, Fr. Alex Karloutsos.
The plans call for a cultural center, which will house classrooms, administrative offices, and a library as well as a community center that will accommodate larger cultural, social and educational events.
Highlights of the new facility include:
- Liturgically designed sanctuary permitting members to worship together facing East in the longstanding Orthodox Christian tradition.
- Capacity for 250 people on the main floor of the Sanctuary.
- Dedicated classrooms for Sunday School, Greek Language & Cultural Institute, and adult education programs.
- Dedicated meeting space for the various ministries and organizations of the parish.
- Infrastructure to accommodate the church’s ministries and administrative needs.
- A library with an extensive collection of texts relevant to Orthodox Christianity and Hellenism.
- Dedicated community center to accommodate The Zoullas Memorial Lecture Series, fellowship gatherings and large assemblies of the faithful.
The construction of the church is expected to last for eighteen months. West Rak, a local general contractor, will build the complex, designed by Edmundo and Gilberto Lopez, and the work will be overseen by the church’s owner’s representative, School Construction Consultants.
While the fundraising effort is well under way, the church is blessed to have received generous donations and support from many within and outside the Southampton parish. Notably, Coula Johnides, has pledged 1 million dollars toward the project. Three anonymous donors have pledged a total of $4 million dollars for the construction, while Bill and Linda Stavropoulos have pledged $500,000 toward the realization of the parish’s vision for the future.
Additionally, many members of the church and broader community have offered their products and services in-kind to contribute the success of the church’s effort to expand. Revco, Guillo Construction, PJ Mechanical and Bouras Steel of New Jersey are among those who have made such commitments. The parish is reaching out to all its members, hoping that all will participate in the capital campaign. “To make it our church, we all really have to give what we can. While we do need to meet our goal, it is not the size of the gift that is most important, but the full participation of our members,” commented Fr. Constantine Lazarakis.
This historical expansion will accommodate the communities growing parish, achieve a greater fidelity to the architectural and liturgical traditions of the Greek Orthodox Faith, and will allow the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons to continue as a thriving and vibrant part of Long Island’s East End community.
