35 YEARS - 1987-2022

In 1987 a group of faithful established the parish of Sts. Raphael Nikolaos and Irene. At that time it was called Sts. Raphael Nikolaos and Irene - Panagia Portaitissa Monastery. When it was first established it was under the omophorion of the Late Archbishop of Athens Chrysostomos. The first decade was a turbulent one. Council in-fighting and less then honest clergy led to a variety of problems. The first priest was let go and a new priest was brought in from the U.S. and the problems begun. He in turn brought in a new board to control the finances. Despite efforts of the Late Metropolitan Petros of Astoria to bring peace to the parish it was to no avail. The church charter was changed to make the priest president of the board. After a year the priest left and the parish and the board changed jurisdictions (Paisios of Astoria) and brought in a new priest - who had a record with Greek police and who was the cause of the scandal of the “weeping icon.” It is estimated that at least $100,000 were misplaced at that time. After a $70,000 legal battle between that priest and the board in charge at the time there was a court order for new elections and it disqualified all board members up to that point to hold office.

The year 1995 was a watershed year. A new board was installed, and the parish went under the omophorion of the “Lamia” Synod to maintain continuity, given the priest at the time was from that Synod. For administrative purposes and because of a court battle with one of the former board members over an improper mortgage taken out on the church, the parish remained under the omophorion of the “Lamia” Synod out of necessity.

In 2005 the old parish declared bankruptcy, the legal battles were resolved and Sts. Raphael, Nikolaos and Irene Eastern Greek Orthodox Church Inc., a recognized charity, came into existence.

The board was now in a position to petition to change Synods given some scandals that had plagued certain hierarchs of the Lamia Synod. In 2008 The Holy Synod in Resistance accepted our parish under the omophorion of the Late Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna. In 2014 the parish followed HSIR in the union with the Church of Gnesion Orthodoxon Christianon of Greece. The union documents assigned the parish to the Toronto Metropolis but stipulated that administratively it will continue under the jurisdiction of the Dioceses of Etan and Portland. The parish commemorates Metropolitan Moses as its local hierarch.

The parish is thriving, thanks to the Late Fr. Dimitrios and our current priest, Fr. David Belden.