1944 - 1948

Supply Priest of the Greek Orthodox Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Webster, MA
Organized Greek educational program for children of Webster and Southbridge, MA, and Fabian and Danielson, CT
Appointed music instructor at the Theological Schools at Pomfret Center, CT and Brookline, MA
Vice President of the Diocese of Boston committee that was instrumental In the founding of the New England Choir Federation.

1948 May 9 (Mother's Day)

Assigned to his first permanent Parish of the Holy Trinity in Charleston, SC by Archbishop Athenagoras who later became Ecumenical Patriarch until his retirement August 31, 1993

1993 December - June 6, 2004

Assigned as Priest of the Holy Resurrection Church in Hilton Head, SC traveling 3 to 4 Sundays each month to celebrate the Divine Liturgy

2002 January 9 - February 28

Served as interim priest of the Holy Trinity Church until the assignment of the new priest, Father John Panagiotou

2006 May 1 - July 4

Served as interim priest of the Holy Trinity Church until the assignment of the new priest, Father John L.Johns.
As Priest Emeritus, he served as interim priest in the absence of the Proistamenos
Assisted in offering communion every Sunday
Chanter for Sunday Orthros services and trained future chanters

Worked with the parish for building:

1951

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, with its
true byzantine architecture and iconography by famous hierographers: Photis Kontoglou, George Gliatas,
John Terzis and Emmanuel Tzirtzilakis

1955

The erection of a new parish House

1960

Educational building for religious and cultural studies

1951

Organized the Byzantine Male Choir that sings the liturgy on the first Sunday of every month Organized the Youth Choir (ages 4-14) that sings the entire Divine Liturgy in Greek on designated Sundays during the months of October to May Organized the Mixed and Male Choirs that sing the Xairestimoi, Presanctified and Holy Week services, the Christmas Matins and Pageant in their entirety, transcribed from Byzantine notations by Father Nicholas.

1950

GOYA for young adults

1954-1993

Two week Vacation Bible School for ages 4-13

1959

Junior Greek Orthodox Youth of America

1960

St. Luke’s Fellowship for ages 21 and over

1962-1993

Tradition of youth singing the Kalanta on New Year’s Day at homes of parishioners

1974-1992

Christmas Eve Pageant combined with traditional Christmas Eve Orthros
The Male Choir chanting the Orthros Service,
Children ages 4-12 presented Christmas Pageant with Goyans as narrators.

1977

Y.A.L. Young Adult League for ages 18 and over

1989

O.C.L. (Orthodox Couples League)

1959 May 17,

Parish Testimonial for eleven years of service

1970 November

Received the title of “Protopresbyter and Confessor” by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos

1973 April 17,

Received the “Order of the Phoenix Silver Cross” from Ambassador Vitsaxis of Greece at the Greek Embassy in Washington D.C. in recognition of his contribution in teaching and advancing Hellenic Culture and Traditions in the U.S.

1988 May

Cited in the Congressional Record by Senator Ernest F. Hollings and Congressman Arthur Ravenel Jr. for his forty years of service as priest of Charleston’s Greek Orthodox parish, pastoring the city’s flourishing Greek Community Cited for his 40 years of service by Lt. Governor Nick Theodore of the State of South Carolina

1988 June 4

“Surprise Anniversary Banquet-Dance” celebration was held commemorating “40" years of service to the Holy Trinity parish.

1988

Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston issued "Proclamation” proclaiming Saturday June 3 1988 as "The Reverend Father Nicholas C. Trivelas Day.”

1988

Received presentation from The Citadel Military College Chaplain, Gordon E.Garthe Commander US Navy Ret. for his 39 years of service as a denominational Chaplain for the Greek Orthodox Cadets from 1949 -1988

1992 December

“The Reverend Nicholas C. Trivelas Library and Bookstore” located in the Hellenic Center was dedicated by His Grace Philip, Bishop of Atlanta.

1993

Received the “Sertoma Service to Mankind Award” for 46 years of significant and meritorious service to the Charleston Community at large.

1994 May 21,

Retirement Dinner in his honor was held at the Omni Hotel.

1995 February 13,

Dinner in his honor celebrating his “50th” Anniversary of Ordination into the Priesthood.”

2002 July 21,

Received “Patriarch Athenagoras” Distinguished Metropolis Service Award during the Southeastern Federation Greek Orthodox Musicians Choir Conference.

2003

“The Father Nicholas and Despina Trivelas Bookstore” was established in the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Hilton Head, SC

2003 November 8,

Selected by Metropolitan Alexios as "Priest of the Year 2003" and was presented the award by Archbishop Demetrios in Atlanta, GA

2004 February 15,

Luncheon in recognition of his award as “Priest of the year 2003" and celebration of his sixty years of service in the Priesthood

Organized and directed choirs for the Clergy Laity Congresses in:

Boston, MA 1946; Savannah, GA 1952 and Athens, Greece 1968

1948-August 1993

Until his retirement served as Citadel Campus Minister for the Cadets of the Eastern Orthodox faith, holding Orthros services every Sunday morning at 8:00 am and religious classes every Monday evening at The Citadel Military College at 7:00 pm.

1963-1964

Accepted the request to teach New Testament Greek at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina.

1968 August

Directed a 50 voice choral group of Greek Orthodox clergymen in a concert of Greek, religious, patriotic, and folk songs in the Theater of Herod Attikos in Athens, Greece before the Premier of Greece George Papadopoulos; Archbishop Eirinaios of Greece; Archbishop Iakovos and other dignitaries

1960 -1973

Taught the language, traditions, heritage of Greece in the Afternoon School of Modern Greek Served as Principal until his retirement
Served on the following City of Charleston committees:

• Delinquency and Crime Commission of Charleston
• Charleston Symphony Board
• Panel member of Clergy and Psychiatrists at the Medical University of South Carolina
• Festival of Faith Committee of the Charleston County Bicentennial Committee
• Executive Board of the Christian-Jewish committee
• Chaplain on the Board of the Charleston Area Senior Citizens
• Chairman of Advisory Council of the Foster Senior Citizens Grandparent Program
• Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Ansonborough Housing, Inc.
• Building Committee of the Ansonborough House

1993

Served full time on the Chaplaincy staff at the Veterans Medical Center (VA)

• Transcription from Byzantine into European notation of church hymns:
  1. Katavasias for Xairetismoi
  2. Holy Week for Holy Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
  3. Orthros Services
• Developed a Parish Archive Collection and established a special Archive Committee
• Developed an extensive Greek music collection of audio and video tapes as a hobby
• Recorded and supplied the Sunday School children with Old and New Testament Bible stories and Greek Mythology tapes for the Greek School students
• Active in the Parish bowling league for 8 years
• Active in Golf and had black labrador retrievers as golf companions for 26 years

Family

Married to

the former Despina C. Ross born January 10, 1925, in Haverhill, MA,
daughter of Christos Ross and Fotini Kassos Ross,

four children and five grandchildren:

George and Carrie Trivelas Michael of Kansas City, MO;

Christ and Diane Amstutz Trivelas

and children Nicholas Earl and Alexandra June of River Forest, IL;

Larry and Faye Trivelas Zoeller

and son, Justin of Darnestown, MD;

Nick and Peggy Merriman Trivelas

and children, Megan Nichole and Mark Trivelas of Aiken, SC

Time line information was compiled by Father Nicholas C Trivelas in January of 2008.
This site was created and is maintained by his children.
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