By Michael Kakias
STATEN ISLAND – The Holy Trinity – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Staten Island held its annual festival September 11 to 13 It is the largest festival of any kind in the borough. As the opening day coincided with the 14th anniversary of 9/11, the organizers held a memorial service for the victims at 8PM that evening. It was an emotional moment as the music and dancing stopped and the mood turned solemn – to honor the victims of that unforgettably horrific attack. The Church’s spiritual leader, Fr. Nicholas Petropoulakos told TNH: “the festival gives us the opportunity to show the world who we are, to show our culture and our civilization.” Plenty of non-Greeks attend as well, he said. “They come for the food and pastries – they love Greek cuisine.”Fr. Petropoulakos added that part of the Festival’s revenue is donated to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty.The festiveness of the event, juxtaposed with the honor and solemnity of fallen victims – uniformed and civilians alike – renders Staten Island’s largest festival truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
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