As the photos, above, show, the laying of the pavers in the courtyard and all around the new Cathedral is nearing completion. The walls along Valencia Street have been built. Eventually the walls will be capped in granite, the same as the façade of our ancillary facilities building. The sidewalk along both Stevenson St. and Valencia St. has been poured (except for a section which will accommodate trees and parking meters). We are one step closer to using our parking component. Honestly, we can’t wait! Final electrical connections are being made, including the installation of an inverter. Then, final inspections will allow us to access our parking on a permanent basis. And how about our beautiful courtyard fountain? We can’t wait until this is done. And until the doors for the Cathedral get installed. And this is just phase one. Phase 2 is the work on the interior, which requires another two years’ worth of work, and about $4 million. Yes, all this takes time, and money. And it takes patience, perseverance, and vision. And, then, everyone will be proud in saying, “look at what we’ve accomplished.
In this positive vein, we note your eagerness to renew our financial support, and we thank you. We’re speaking about individuals who’ve met their financial commitment, and want to continue contributing. If you have not yet contributed (and there are a number of families that have not done so), we invite your participation. Be assured, your gift is fully tax deductible, to the extent allowed by law. More importantly, you, too, will experience the joy of giving--and to such a historic undertaking! We mean, how many people get to build a church in their lifetime? Equally importantly, you will be helping make firm our presence as a Greek Orthodox house of worship in the heart of our Great City. In this way, together we will be answering the call by God to Moses, when He said “Build me a Sanctuary, and I will appear among you.” (from the Septuagint: Καὶ ποιήσεις μοι ἁγίασμα, καὶ ὀφθήσομαι ἐν ὑμῖν). (Exodus 25:8). When everything is completed, we will be able to consecrate the new Cathedral to the glory of God. God willing, this can coincide with our 100th anniversary, in 2021 and become the crowning glory of those 100th anniversary celebration.