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OUR CHURCH

Welcome to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Our Parish serves a wide geographical area encompassing the State of Delaware as well as southern New Jersey, northeast Maryland and portions of southeastern Pennsylvania. Here, you will find information regarding religious services and ministries offered by the Church, activities of auxiliary organizations, as well as opportunities for engagement in those ministries and stewardship.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is the only Greek Orthodox Church in Delaware. The end of the 19th century saw the first known Greek settlers arrive in Wilmington and by the 1920s the early manifestations of a Community began to take root. The Church was formally organized under a Parish Council in 1934 and in 1948, the cornerstone was laid for the impressive Byzantine style edifice located at 808 North Broom Street in Wilmington, Delaware. From its impressive dome to its beautiful interior hand painted iconography adorning the ceiling, the Church is an architectural jewel. The Community Center adjacent to the Church allows parishioners to gather for educational and cultural pursuits and host the annual Greek Festival. But most important, the Church complex not only remains the center of the Greek Community, but serves as the religious home to hundreds of regional Orthodox parishioners and a testament to the legacy of those who have nurtured the Greek Community over its nearly 100 years of existence in Wilmington.

CLERGY

REV. Fr. Philemon Patitsas

Fr. Philemon and Presvytera Maria are delighted to have been assigned by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America as the Presiding Priest of Holy Trinity (Wilmington, DE), a parish with a rich heritage of spiritual life and growth, celebrating over 100 years of Greek Orthodox heritage, devotedly preserving our Hellenistic Christian faith, culture and way of life.  Wilmington is a coming home for them, having lived in the Lehigh Valley for more than 12 years when Fr. worked in private industry as an MBA degreed engineer.  Fr. and Presvytera Maria have numerous friends and family throughout the Lehigh Valley, Delaware Valley and greater Washington, DC areas, many of whom have deep relationships with the Holy Trinity community.

Prior to his invitation to serve Holy Trinity, Fr. Philemon and Presvytera Maria lovingly served the St. Katherine parish (Naples, FL) for nine years; and were devoted members of several Holy Trinity communities (Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; and Pittsburgh, PA).  Presvytera Maria had the joy of working as an educator and administrator for several Greek Charter and Day Schools (Allen Independent School District, Holy Trinity Academy, Socrates Academy).  They are parents of three adult children (Captain Nicholas, USMC; Eleni and Markella), and have three granddaughters. Eleni and Markella are currently pursuing their Masters in Theological Studies at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, MA); and Nicholas’ next military assignment will likely be on the east coast.
Fr. Phil loves worshipping the resplendent All Holy Trinity, and celebrating the Divine Liturgy and other liturgical traditions of our faith (as his greatest joy, blessing and privilege), and is looking forward to serving the people of Holy Trinity, where the spiritual care and well being of families and youth will be his number one priority, combined with the strengthening and building up of the community in every way possible.
frphilemon@holytrinitywilmington.org

On God as Trinity (for adults)

“God is Love” (1 John 4:8)…yet, without God’s Trinitarian revelation as a harmonious mutually indwelling (“perichoresis“) of three distinct persons (“hypostasis“), sharing in the same essence (“ousia”), God’s eternal love becomes something static, constrained, temporal, limited, self-absorbed, created and lifeless, because love has no meaning without relationality as the means of its expression; without relationships, love loses its power as it becomes a limited sentiment of the created world, rather than the beautiful indomitable force of goodness, and mode of being of its dynamic prime mover, who is the Living God.  –  Fr. Philemon

On the Trinity (for children)
The love shared between Jesus and His Heavenly Father is perfectly complete because they share it through and with The Holy Spirit who is present everywhere and fills all things with their love for one another. – Fr. Phil

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