Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans begins to rebuild...with a little help from the U.S. Navy

Photos from www.goarch.org

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans was significantly damaged during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. The photos of the damage are disheartening. There is hope, however, in that efforts are already underway to repair the Cathedral.

The cathedral lays claim to being the first Greek Orthodox Cathedral founded in the United States. The origins of the Cathedral date from the mid-nineteenth century. The present Cathedral building was built in the last several years.

During the aftermath of the storm the Cathedral had around 3-4 feet of standing water inside. Orthodox Priests were able to gain access to the Cathedral with the assistance of the Massachusetts National Guard via helicopter to retrieve the Holy Vessels from the altar.

Then sailors from the U.S.S. Iwo Jima arrived to aid in the cleanup of the church. The Commanding Officer of the Iwo Jima is Captain Richard S. Callas. Captain Callas is also an Orthodox Christian.

Unbelievably, through the efforts of the clergy and the sailors, the church was cleaned up enough to allow the Divine Liturgy to be served last Sunday. Even with the Cathedral still surrounded by water eight people braved the elements to attend the service.