St. Nicholas Church Opens Educational-Cultural Center

As Archbishop Demetrios (l.) and Father Paul Palesty look on, the ribbon cutting takes place.

Nearly three years after ground was broken for the Michelis Hellenic Cultural and Educational Center at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Shrine Church of Flushing, members of the congregation watched as His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America and the Rev. Father Paul Palesty, protopresbyter of St. Nicholas, joined in cutting the ribbon to open the $8 million structure.

The ribbon cutting ceremony took place December 2, four days shy of the day in 2004 that a shovel first went into the ground at St. Nicholas Church, 196-10 Northern Blvd., Flushing. Every group and organization participated in the fundraising effort and many other donations came in from the parish and the community at large.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church also holds a four-day-long Greek culture and food festival in early October of every year.

Archbishop Demetrios and Father Paul Palesty (r.) bestow their blessing on the gathered members of the congregation during prayers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photos Tony Barsamian