Faith at the Center of It All

In less than two weeks, Dayton will celebrate its 58th annual Greek Festival. At the heart of our festival, culture and community, is our Greek Orthodox faith. The church brings us together in so many ways – every Sunday we celebrate the Divine Liturgy together, and throughout the year we spend the great holidays together, grieve together and celebrate the joys of life through baptisms and marriages.

If you attend our church tours, you will learn about our Eastern Orthodox faith and the history of of the Dayton parish. You’ll quickly see why we are such a tight community with lifelong traditions, many of which come from our strong faith through important holidays, such as Easter. You’ll also see that the church is very beautiful with its many icons and stained glass windows. There are multiple opportunities to attend a church tour and each lasts approximately 20 minutes.

On Sunday, September 11 at 12:30 p.m., a Memorial Service will be held at our festival for the victims of 9/11 and everyone is invited to attend. During the 9/11 attacks, the small Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas was the only house of worship destroyed when the South Tower fell. In 2014, building of a new church, the St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center, began. When finished, the Shrine will continue to function as a parish, but will also be recognized as a National Shrine on hallowed grounds. Its doors will be open to all – to light a candle, say a prayer or just sit quietly. As the Shrine website says, “It will shine as a spiritual beacon of hope and rebirth to cherish the memory of those who were lost that fateful day, and to build a better future for generations yet to be born.” To see more on the Saint Nicholas National Shrine, visit www.stnicholaswtc.org.

For more information on our parish, visit www.daytonannunciation.org and for more detailed information on the Greek Orthodox faith, visit www.goarch.org.

The Greek Festival starts on Friday, September 9th. We look forward to having many visitors enjoy learning about our faith and culture. Come join us!