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| THE MONTREAL GREEK TIMES GOPHER NEWS SERVICE |
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March 2026
Holy Trinity and the ghost of a promised Parthenon
(GIF) article photo
by Dimitri Papadopoulos, with files from John Cocconas
In the previous edition of The Montreal Greek Times, we explored the
historic six-decade chronicle of Holy Trinity, a church that
constituted the primary space of strategy and development for local
Hellenism. For the early generations of Greek immigrants who arrived
with unwavering faith and deep cultural pride, this sacred property was
the foundation upon which the community had deposited many hopes for
the future. Today, exactly 40 years after the devastating flames
consumed that sacred space, we continue this ongoing tribute by
examining the turbulent events that unfolded after the fire. Archival
photographs from that era show a majestic stone facade swallowed by a
relentless blaze, juxtaposed against later, highly ambitious
architectural renderings that promised a sprawling modern complex. The
ensuing narrative of Holy Trinity reveals a complex history where
community devotion intersected with political ambition.
For the older generation of Greeks in Montreal, the original building
held an immeasurable emotional weight. It was within those stone walls
that countless newly arrived Greek immigrants sought solace, gathering
to hear the Divine Liturgy in their native tongue and to celebrate their
earliest Greek-Canadian Christmases. The church bore witness to their
most sacred life events. It served as the holy site where young couples
exchanged wedding vows, where proud parents baptized their children, and
where families worked tirelessly to preserve their rich Hellenic
heritage. It was a vital institution functioning to ensure that the rich
Hellenic identity was passed down unbroken. To understand the depth of
this loss for the younger generation of Greek-Canadians, one must
recognize that this church functioned as the pulsing heart of community
unity and cultural survival in a new world. Today, standing at the
corner of Sherbrooke Street and St. Laurent Boulevard, observers see the
modern facade of Hotel 10 occupying the exact location where this
historic church once stood. The hotel serves as a highly visible
reminder of a promised rebuilding effort that failed to materialize.
The interest of the Greek community in the restoration of the
destroyed church was immediate and immense. A fundraising committee
was swiftly formed under the leadership of Father Konstantinos
Chalkias to begin the vital work of gathering resources. Various
community fundraising events were organized and executed with the
singular goal of collecting money to resurrect the sanctuary, and the
response from the Greek community was deeply touching. Families
contributed generously, driven by a profound patriotism and a
steadfast desire to see their spiritual home restored. The community
administration, functioning under the leadership of Adrian Maris, was
simultaneously facing a severe financial deadlock. This economic
strain stemmed from the creation of a second community centre located
on the South Shore of Montreal. The contract for that specific
suburban project had been signed with the company Saming Constructions
on July 8, 1985, exactly six months prior to the fire that claimed
Holy Trinity. The administration proceeded to ignore the immediate
goals of Father Chalkias and his dedicated committee, advancing
instead toward the creation of plans for massive, grand visions.
These impressive actions orchestrated by Adrian Maris fascinated a
large segment of Hellenism, and many individuals accepted the grand
proposals with noticeable enthusiasm. The president’s prior success in
establishing the two community centres served as a strong foundation of
trust for his supporters. The vast gap that had opened between the
community administration and the Bishopric at the time was fuelled by
Maris’s broader plan for the union of the remaining peripheral
communities. Among the fervent supporters of the administration were
highly politicized leftist groups, operating entirely under the
protective title of “progressive forces”. These specific factions stood
as the catalytic forces during the all-night general assemblies,
driving major decisions forward with the organized strength of 70
reliable votes. The conservative world of the community expressed
intense opposition to the grand visions of Adrian Maris and tried
numerous times to obstruct this organized tactic, ultimately failing to
halt the administration’s momentum. Adrian Maris was known to be
uncompromising, stubborn, imposing, and remarkably combative in
defending his positions, representing a symbol of assurance to all
those who passionately backed his dreams.
Under these heavily politicized conditions, “the simple and easy
restoration of Holy Trinity becomes yet another unattainable dream”
for Adrian Maris. The president left everyone completely speechless
when he officially released the plans for the creation of what was
dubbed the “Parthenon”. Even the most vocal sceptics were deeply
impressed by the sheer scale of the venture upon seeing the
spectacular architectural model published widely in local newspapers
and community calendars. On July 8, 1987, the architect Dan S. Hanganu
was called upon to ratify the binding decisions of the plenary session
that had been taken earlier on May 6, 1987. The official contract,
signed by President Adrian N. Maris and architect Dan S. Hanganu,
provided for an extensive architectural study costing $450,000. This
massive fee was attached to a proposed project estimated to cost
approximately $16,000,000, a staggering sum for a community operating
without the necessary capital. The comprehensive plans included the
restoration of the Godin building situated at the southwest corner of
Sherbrooke and St. Laurent, as well as the restoration of the church
itself. The grand vision further required the construction of a
massive eight-storey building rising above the Sherbrooke street
level, complete with a basement floor and three full levels of
underground garage space. A defining feature of the design was the
construction of a glassed-in atrium intended to seamlessly connect the
Godin building, the historic church, and the new structure.
The pursuit of these grandiose plans stood in stark opposition to the
efforts of Father Konstantinos Chalkias and his committee. The priest
had received vastly different promises regarding the immediate
restoration of the church directly following the fire. Finding himself
completely unsupported by his own superior authority, the Bishop, the
devoted priest was eventually forced to abandon his community in
Canada. He relocated and settled permanently in the United States,
receiving necessary help and moral support from the Archdiocese of
America. Leaving Montreal deeply disappointed, Father Chalkias made
sure to declare loudly to anyone who would listen that the insurance
policy for Holy Trinity was explicitly written for “Replacement Cost”.
The internal communal chaos was further aggravated by the notorious
“Daperis case”. This incident revolved around a formal decision to
expel community member and radio broadcaster John Daperis. The
expulsion was a direct retaliation for an article he had written and
published in his newspaper “Hellenic Voice” eight months earlier. In
the piece, Daperis publicly called upon the Bishop “to take up his
responsibilities”. The provocative headline of the article read:
“[Bishop], your time has come”. The official justification provided for
the harsh community decision was that the published article “undermined
the foundations” of the community.
The July 8, 1987 contract stipulated that from the total architectural
fee amount of $450,000, the Hellenic Community of Montreal was presently
making an immediate commitment for $93,000 for the preparation of the
survey plans and sketches. The final agreement was officially accepted
in Montreal, Quebec, on the ninth day of July, 1987.
In the upcoming edition of The Montreal Greek Times, our ongoing
investigation will continue by examining the specific details
surrounding the insurance of Holy Trinity. We will present the
official estimates provided by the state and the specialized
professors of the University of Montreal regarding the true costs of
the sanctuary’s restoration.
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