ST. HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH EXPANSION SET WITH CLOSING ON ADJACENT PROPERTY IN NILES, IL

Parish Meets $100,000 οΏ½Challenge PledgeοΏ½ for Down Payment,
Seeks support of all Chicagoland faithful    

NILES, IL, December 7, 2004 οΏ½ The Holy Taxiarhai - St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Niles, IL held the closing on the purchase of a one-acre property adjacent to their existing church and school at 7373 Caldwell on Dec. 1.  οΏ½Exciting as it is to have the parish close on the property, this is but a first step in the latest chapter in our long history as the St. Haralambos familyοΏ½ one that will, with GodοΏ½s help, see the ultimate fruition of so many long-held dreams,οΏ½ reflected the parishοΏ½s Fr. Constantine Botsis following the closing.  οΏ½After more than a year of negotiations,οΏ½ added Parish Council President Tom Kanelos, οΏ½we just thank the Lord we were finally able to realize the purchase, allowing for the future expansion of our parish facilities.οΏ½ 

Making good on the $100,000 οΏ½Challenge PledgeοΏ½ he made last January, longtime St. Haralambos parishioner Chris P. Tomaras was elated to hear the parish was closing on the property.  οΏ½Fr. Dean and Tom Kanelos called me when the contract was signed.  I thank God and the parishοΏ½s leadership for allowing me to help in achieving this goal,οΏ½ continued Tomaras, οΏ½and I look forward to seeing the community, its children, our Hellenic heritage and Orthodox Faith continue to flourish there.οΏ½  Kanelos thanked Tomaras, saying, οΏ½Now itοΏ½s up to our fellow parishioners, and our many friends all over Chicagoland, to come forward and contribute what they can so the parish can continue building its momentum.  I can assure all our contributors that each of them will be appropriately recognized for helping us raise what we owe on this new land.οΏ½

Taking a somewhat different approach than many of our parishesοΏ½ benefactors, Tomaras had decided to challenge his fellow-parishioners last January during a General Assembly discussing possible expansion: he would contribute $100,000 towards their offer on the property, but only if 100 fellow parishioners also contributed $1,000 each.  He was pleased when $62,000 in contributions was pledged before the meeting had even adjourned, saying, οΏ½I felt it was more important for me to serve as a catalyst for a hundred others to make a commitment to the children and future of this parish.  IοΏ½m gratified that my οΏ½Challenge PledgeοΏ½ is being met so quickly.οΏ½ 

Parish Dinner-Dance set for Feb. 13
The St. Haralambos community, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2001, is one of the Chicago areaοΏ½s oldest and most dynamic Greek Orthodox parishes. It is led by Rev. Fr. Constantine P. Botsis, Protopresbyter, and Fr. Mark Muñoz, with Deacon John G. Suhayda as Pastoral Assistant, and the Parish Council headed by Chicago businessperson Tom Kanelos.  The Chairpersons of the parishοΏ½s annual Dinner-Dance, Katina and Spyros Vaselopulos, have announced the event will be held Feb. 13, 2005 at the Crystal Palace in Des Plaines, IL, and will be a departure from previous years, including what they promise will be οΏ½a unique οΏ½Silent AuctionοΏ½ and new way everyone can be recognized for their support of St. Haralambos as we enter a new era in our long history.οΏ½