Born: February 19, 1921
Died: October 4, 2008

Born in Altoona Pennsylvania February 19, 1921 son of Christ A Trivelas and Carrie Drosakis. Was graduated from Altoona High School in 1939 and from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Pomfret Center Connecticut 1944. January 28, 1945 Ordained into the deaconate in Patterson N.J. February 11, 1945. Ordained into the priest-hood in the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Brooklyn, NY by His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop Germanos  Polizoides.

1944-1948 Supply Priest of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Webster Mass; organized greek  educational schools for children of South-bridge, Mass., Fabian and  Danielson Conn.; European Music Instructor at  the Theological Schools at Brookline, Mass. and Pomfret Center Conn.; Vice President on Diocese of Boston committee instrumental in the founding of the New England Choir Federation; May 9, 1948 Mother’s Day, assigned to his first and only permanent Parish of the Holy Trinity in Charleston, SC by Archbishop Athenagoras, until his retirement August 31, 1993.

Dec. 1993 - June 6, 2004 assigned as Priest of the Holy Resurrection mission Church in Hilton Head, SC traveling 134 miles 3 to 4 Sundays a month to celebrate the Divine Liturgy; Jan. 2002 - Feb. 28, 2002 Interim priest of Holy Trinity until the assignment of new priest, Father John Panagiotou; May 1 - July 4, 2006 Interim priest of Holy Trinity until the assignment of new priest, Father John L. Johns. As Priest Emeritus he assists in offering communion every Sunday, Chanter for Sunday Orthros services and trains future chanters. Parish Properties:  1951 Worked for the building of the Holy Trinity Church, true byzantine architecture, iconography by famous hierographers Photis Kontoglou, George Gliatsas, John Terzis and    Emmanouel Tzirtzilakis; 1955 Parish House; 1960 Educational building for religious and cultural studies. Choirs: 1951 organized Byzantine Male Choir that sings the first Sun of every month; Youth Choir ages 4 - 14 sings the entire Divine Liturgy in Greek on designated Sundays; Mixed and Male choirs sing Xairetismoi, Presanctified, Holy Week services, Christmas Matins and Pageant in their entirety, transcribed from Byzantine notations by Father Nicholas. Organized: 1954 GOYA fo young adults; 1954-1993 2 week VBS for youth ages 4-13; 1959 JR. Greek Orthodox Youth of America; 1960 St. Luke’s Fellowship for ages 21 and over; 1962-1993 tradition of youth singing Kalanta New Year’s Day at homes of parishioners; 1974-1992 Christmas Eve Pageant combined with Christmas Eve Orthros. Male Choir chanted orthros service, children 4-12 presented Pageant with Goyans as narrators; 1977 Young Adult League (Y.A.L) ages 18 and over; 1990 Orthodox Couples League (O.C.L.)

Testimonials, Awards, Citations and Honors 

May 17,1959 Testimonial for 11 yrs. Of service; Nov. 1970 received title of  “Protopresvyter and Confessor” by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos; April 17, 1973 received “Order of the Phoenix Silver Cross ”from King George of Greece, presented by Ambassador Vitsaxis at the Greek Embassy, Washington, DC, in recognition of his contribution in teaching and advancing Hellenic Culture and Traditions in U.S.; May 1988 was cited in the Congressional Record by Senator Ernest F. Hollings and Congressman Arthur Ravenel Jr. in recognition of his 40 years of service as Priest of Charleston’s Greek Orthodox parish, pastoring the city’s flourishing Greek Community;  Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston issued “Proclamation” proclaiming Saturday June 3, 1988 as “The Reve-rend  Father  Nicholas C. Trivelas Day”; June 4, 1988  was cited for his 40 years of service by  Lt. Governor Nick Theodore of the State of SC; June 4, 1988 “Surprise Anniversary Banquet Dance” celebration held commemorating “40" years of service to the Holy Trinity parish; Received  presentation from “The Citadel Military College” Chaplain Gordon E Garthe, Commander US Navy Ret. for his 30 years of service as a  denominational  Chaplain  for  the  Greek  Orthodox Cadets 1949-1988;  Dec. 1992 “The  Reverend Nicholas C. Trivelas Library  and Bookstore” located in the Hellenic Center was dedicated by His Grace Philip, Bishop of  Diocese of Atlanta; 1993  Received the “Sertoma Service to Mankind Award” for 46 years of significant and meritorious service to the Charleston  Community at large;  May 21, 1994 Retirement Dinner in his honor at the Omni Hotel;  Feb.13,1995 Dinner in his honor celebrating his “50th  Anniversary of Ordination into  the  Priesthood”; July   21,  2002 received “Patriarch Athenagoras” Distinguished Metropolis Service Award during  the Southeastern Federation Greek Orthodox  Musicians Choir Conference; Nov. 8 2003 was selected by Metropolitan Alexios as “Priest of the Year 2003" and was  presented the award  by Archbishop Demetrios in Atlanta, Ga.; 2003 “The Father Nicholas Despina Trivelas Library  and  Bookstore”  established in the Church of the Holy  Resurrection in Hilton Head, SC;  Feb. 15, 2004  Luncheon  in  recognition  of  his  award  as  “Priest   of   the  Year  2003" and  celebration of his 60 yrs. of Service in the Priesthood. Other services and accomplishments: Organized and directed choirs for the Clergy Laity Congresses in Boston Mass. 1946, Savannah, Ga.1952 and Athens Greece 1968;

Aug. 1968 directed a 50 voice choral group of Greek Orthodox Clergymen in a concert of 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; 1963-64 accepted request to teach New Testament Greek at The Citadel Military College; 1960-1973 Re-organized the Afternoon School of Modern Greek, (after being closed because it afforded no monetary profits to the Parish) and taught the language, traditions, heritage of Greece; Served as Principal until his retirement.  

Specialties

Transcription from Byzantine into European notation of Katavasias for Heretismoi and Nymphios Services of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday and Tuesday; Developed a Parish Archive Collection and established a special Archive Committee to maintain; Active in the Sr. GOYA Parish bowling league for 8 years; Active in golf and had black Labrador retrievers as golf companions for 26 years. Performed over 510 weddings and 945 baptisms. May 9, 2008 Completed 60 yrs. of service to Holy Trinity as Priest and Emeritus.

Family

Married to the former Despina C. Ross born January 10, 1925 in Haverhill, Mass., daughter of Christos and Fotini  Kassos Ross, and have four children and five grandchildren - George  and  Carrie  Trivelas  Michale of Kansas  City, Mo.; Chris and Diane Amstudz  Trivelas and children, Nicholas  Earl and Alexandra June, of River Forest Ill.; 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. Father  and   Presvytera reside  in   Wild   Dunes on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina.