Holy Trinity Orthodox Church marks 100 years in East Meadow

The Holy Trinity Orthodox Church of East Meadow was among the first of its kind when it was established in 1924. From humble beginnings, the church has grown and evolved over the last century, and today is a welcoming and diverse community of Orthodox Christians, who come from all walks of life and ethnicities.

Rev. Martin Kraus has been with Holy Trinity for the last 17 years. He and his wife reside in the community with their five children.

When the church was created 100 years ago, it was done with good reason.

For Orthodox Christians, many who were Eastern European immigrants, the closest parishes were in New York City. Those who resided in and around what is now East Meadow at the time often had to walk very far and take a streetcar into the city to attend religious services, Kraus said.

At some point, Kraus said, after a major snowstorm in 1915 blocked transportation into the city, it became evident that it was time to establish a church on Long Island.

Holy Trinity’s first Paschal Vespers, which is a liturgy of evening prayer completed on the Saturday ahead of Easter, or Pascha in Orthodoxy, were said in the home of Stephen Koshansky on May 5, 1918. This was the first Orthodox Christian service celebrated on Long Island.

Koshansky’s granddaughter, Kathy, is still part of the parish.

“She is still at our parish and serves as our vice president of our parish council,” Kraus said. “She’s been very active in getting the preparations for the hundredth-year anniversary, so it’s nice to have the continuation of the Koshansky family.”

The parish was formally organized in 1924 and made Holy Trinity Church the first Orthodox Christian parish in the Nassau-Suffolk area. The original temple building was completed in 1926, and replaced by the current temple building, at 369 Green Street, East Meadow, in 1962.

The 100th anniversary of the church was celebrated on June 23, which was also Pentecost, sometimes referred to as Trinity Sunday in Eastern Orthodoxy.

Pentecost is a Christian holiday that falls seven Sundays after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the followers of Jesus Christ. It is considered the birth of Christian Church.

The date in which both Easter and Pentecost occur changes year to year on the Gregorian calendar, as Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar.

An important holiday celebrated in all Christian churches, Pentecost has an even greater significance to Holy Trinity, Kraus explained.

“Each parish — some may be named after saints — and then you normally have your feast day on the coinciding calendar day on the church calendar,” Kraus said. “So, for Holy Trinity, it coincides with the Feast of Pentecost, which (fell) this year on June 23, so that’s why we’re celebrating our 100th anniversary of our church on June 23.”

Services at the church on Sunday included the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 9 a.m., which Archbishop Michael of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey presided over, alongside Kraus and other clergy. It is a longer service, as compared to other Sunday services, and it was followed by an additional service for Pentecost.

The celebration did not end there. Later in the afternoon, the church community gathered at the Stewart Manor Country Club for a reception, marking the church’s unique beginnings on Long Island, and its history in East Meadow and nearby areas. Attendees included Holy Trinity’s parishioners, but also guests from nearby parishes.

Weekly services at Holy Trinity are conducted in English, which appeals to a wide background of people in the Orthodox faith, as other parishes may conduct services in Russian, Greek or Ukrainian, among other languages. The church is involved in various philanthropy efforts, Mark Vassilakis, who’s part of the outreach committee at Holy Trinity explained, and  started to appeal to an influx of young people in the community.

“What we’ve seen nationwide, it’s been happening in a lot of parishes, there’s been this huge explosion of young people coming into the Orthodox Church since the pandemic,” he said.

Kraus said it is wonderful that this is happening, and as a chaplain for youth with the diocese, he and his wife do a lot of work with youth retreats and summer camps that cater to kids.

“I can see our young kids struggling in the world today,” he said. “So, with our mission, we are really working hard to reach out and to help our kids understand how important they are to the world, and there is a future for them.”

The culmination of the 100th anniversary and the Feast of Pentecost means a great deal to parishioners at Holy Trinity.

“It marks the moment when the apostles were empowered to spread the teaching of Jesus Christ, and establish this church on earth,” Kraus said of the feast. “And for us, celebrating our 100th year in conjunction with Pentecost is deeply significant for us because it symbolizes renewal, growth, and the active presence of the Holy Spirit in guiding us in the church. These things resonate profoundly with our celebration for 100 years.”