Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Sioux City

09/01/2026

08/31/2026

☦️ A Special Visit to Holy Trinity & Siouxland

This past week, Holy Trinity was truly blessed to welcome His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago back to Sioux City.
His Eminence spent several days in residence here in Sioux City, giving him the opportunity to experience our parish, our families, and our greater Siouxland community in a much more personal way.

His visit began with dinner at the home of John and Mary Baryo, who graciously welcomed His Eminence upon his arrival in Sioux City.

The following day began with a visit to Trinity Heights, where His Eminence had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with Bishop John E. Keehner. During a tour of the Shrine of the Queen of Peace, led by Trinity Heights Executive Director Terry Hegarty, the two bishops shared conversations about their personal backgrounds, their experiences as Church leaders, and their lives of faith. It was a beautiful opportunity for two faith leaders in our community to spend time together and learn more about one another.

Following lunch with members of our parish, His Eminence traveled to Sioux Center for an especially meaningful visit with Brother Amphilochios. During their time together, His Eminence was able to offer Holy Communion to Brother Amphilochios. His Eminence also facilitated a FaceTime call with Father Christodoulos in Denver, allowing the two brothers to see and speak with one another after many, many years apart. It was an incredibly special reunion.

Of course, a stay in northwest Iowa wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Le Mars, the Ice Cream Capital of the World! His Eminence was joined by parishioners at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor & Welcome Center for ice cream, conversation, and fellowship.

His time in Siouxland also included a very special visit with Alex and Kiki Karras and their family, providing another opportunity to spend time personally with members of our Holy Trinity family.

On Wednesday evening, His Eminence served Paraklesis at Holy Trinity, followed by dinner and an evening centered around something especially important to our parish, our children.
Our children came prepared with questions, and His Eminence took the time to sit with them, listen, laugh, and answer what they wanted to know. As a small remembrance of his stay, our children gifted His Eminence an Iowa State Stuffy. In return, His Eminence graciously gave the children copies of The Storyteller’s Handbook, sharing with them why it is a personal favorite of his. Our older children also received copies of Called to Serve.
The evening then turned from conversation to service.
While His Eminence spent time talking and visiting with our Holy Trinity families and parishioners, our youth worked together to prepare 200 hygiene packs for those in need in our community. The packs will be donated to the Siouxland Soup Kitchen and The Warming Shelter.

Before heading on, His Eminence traveled to West Bend, Iowa, to visit the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption. It was a wonderful final stop with some of our Holy Trinity family before heading onto his next visit.

For a small parish like ours, having our Metropolitan present with us for several days was incredibly special. It gave our parishioners and children the opportunity to know His Eminence beyond the walls of the church and gave him the opportunity to see firsthand the faith, families, children, history, and tremendous heart that make Holy Trinity such a special community.

We are incredibly grateful to His Eminence for giving us his time, guidance, encouragement, and presence.

Thank you, Your Eminence, for making Sioux City your home for a few days. You will always have a home here at Holy Trinity. ☦️💙Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

08/31/2026

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

During a pastoral visit to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Sioux City by the metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Nathanael Symeonides of Chicago made a point to visit Bishop John E. Keehner. The two bishops shared conversations about their personal backgrounds, their experi...

05/02/2026

05/01/2026

Καλό μήνα!

April slipped by faster than any of us expected, and in that time our mighty parish has been busy!

Throughout a journey that has tested our faith, our patience, and our perseverance, and one we are still walking as we remain without a shepherd for our parish, we are reminded of something deeply powerful: Christ is present, even in the waiting. Even without a spiritual leader, our community continues to pray, to serve, and to do the work of the Church, trusting that God is guiding us forward.

For weeks, our beloved Holy Trinity parish walked through Great Lent without a priest. And yet, we were not completely alone, our dear Father Sava Protopresbyter Sava Leida and Father Nichalas came to serve as often as their schedules would allow, and our chanter John continually showed up, offering his voice, his time, and his steadfast presence to help carry our services forward.

As we entered Holy Week on Palm Sunday without a priest, we were reminded of Christ’s own entrance into Jerusalem. Welcomed not with power or earthly authority, but with humility, faith, and a people crying out in hope. Just as Christ walked forward knowing what was to come, our parish stepped into the week with the same quiet strength, trusting that even in uncertainty, God was present among us.

We had no Hymn of Saint Kassiani on Tuesday evening, no Holy Unction on Holy Wednesday, no 12 Gospels on Holy Thursday, and Good Friday’s Royal hours were listened to over YouTube while our amazing dedicated ladies decorated the Kavouklion. It was heavy, emotional, and not how any parish hopes to experience these holy days.

Then, on Holy Friday afternoon, everything changed.

With the arrival of Father Christopher Whatley and his son Aiden, a wave of grace, peace, and renewed strength filled our church. From the very first service, his presence brought comfort to our hearts and life back into our worship in a way that is difficult to fully put into words.

Through Holy Friday, Saturday, and into the radiant joy of Pascha, our parish was reminded of what it means to be shepherded, not just led, but cared for. Father Christopher guided our community with gentleness, humility, and a deep reverence for the moment. He met us exactly where we were and helped lift us into where we needed to be.

The impact was immediate and gratitude is overwhelming.

Our Easter weekend did not erase the challenges we have faced, nor does it remove the challenges that still lie ahead. However, it reminded us that we are not forgotten. That even in the most difficult moments, God provides.

Holy Trinity is strong, faithful, and moving forward together.

Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ἀνέστη!
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

04/28/2026

A Statement by His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael on the Tragic Shootings in Chicago, Illinois

Read the full statement at:
Chicago.goarch.org/a-statement-by-his-eminence-metropolitan-nathanael-on-the-tragic-shootings-in-chicago-illinois"

04/09/2026

Thank you Father Dimitri Tobias for another inspiring message.

04/08/2026

Holy Tuesday is one of the most spiritually charged days of Orthodox Holy Week, and for Greek Orthodox Christians around the world, tonight marks one of its most powerful moments: the Hymn of Kassiani.

The day carries two striking contrasts at its core, as Archimandrite Filoumenos Roumpis explains. Through two figures, the Church places side by side a repentant woman and a betraying disciple, a sinner seeking redemption and an apostle choosing greed over grace. That tension is what gives Holy Tuesday its emotional weight.

The Hymn of Kassiani, chanted during the Bridegroom Matins service tonight, is one of the most beloved pieces of Byzantine hymnography still sung in the Orthodox Church. It tells the story of a sinful woman who washes Christ's feet with her tears and dries them with her hair, and its words have moved Greek Orthodox congregations for over a thousand years.

Kassiani herself was a ninth-century Byzantine poet and composer, one of the few women of her era whose name and work survived intact through the centuries. Her hymn remains a rare example of a woman's voice preserved in the liturgical tradition of the Eastern Church.

For Greek diaspora communities across the United States, tonight's service is often one of the most attended of Holy Week. Churches from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles will chant the hymn in the darkened nave, a moment that connects Greek Americans directly to a tradition stretching back to Byzantine Constantinople.

Holy Week continues with Holy Wednesday tomorrow.

03/31/2026

You are invited, Wednesday at 7:30, in person or via Zoom, to learn about Holy Week in the Orthodox Church.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84690159313?pwd=faUDQHT8TuUUVcqY30XaWSbuhOTvpH.1

Meeting ID: 846 9015 9313
Passcode: 641464