By Vasilis Papoutsis
SACRAMENTO, CA – A 25 year-old dream started to become reality with the groundbreaking of a $12.5 million Family Center and Administration building for the parishioners of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Sacramento. More than 500 people attended the special blessing by his Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, including clergy and elected officials.
The structure will evoke the Byzantine style of Greek Architecture and it will feature a large hall for weddings and special events, administration offices and in the center of it all a huge courtyard inspired by the ”Plateia” that is the centerpiece of every Greek village.
”The primary goal of the project is to expand the youth ministry” said George Koufasimis, who is the Building Committee Chairman. It will replace the aging Sunday and Greek school classrooms, and it will be 3 times bigger than the old structure.” With the new facilities they will be able to bring home the basketball and volleyball leagues that are currently housed at rental facilities. So far they have raised $6.3 million, all donated by the parishioners, and Mr. Koufasimis told me that church members voted in favor of a $7 million bridge loan so construction can begin. The project is due to be completed in 16 months time.
It is the oldest Greek Orthodox parish between San Francisco and Salt Lake City dating back to 1920 when 50 Greek community leaders formed the first Orthodox parish. The present building was constructed in 1951. Today with the parish exceeding 500 families it is the largest church in the Sacramento region and the need for new facilities was long overdue.
Angelo Tsakopoulos a prominent Real Estate developer and founder of AKT Development company told me that the Greek community in Sacramento is a ”vibrant community that has expanded tremendously in the last 20 years and that the church’s expansion is vital for the community’s progress.” He also shared with me his deep emotional ties to the church since his kids were baptized and married there and he has been a parishioner for the last 50 years!
The church is actively continuing fundraising to repay the loan as construction is underway and you can learn more details by visiting their web site at www.thebuildsac.org.
A bright future is ahead for the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. As Sam Manolakas, the chair of the capital campaign committee, said ”It is a historic moment for us to move forward with a vision 25 years in the making.”
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