Seventy-Five Years on Caldwell Avenue
Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church sits at 7373 N Caldwell Avenue in Niles, Illinois, a parish organized by Greek immigrants in the late 1940s and formally incorporated in 1951. Now marking its 75th anniversary, the community gathers each week for Divine Liturgy, sends its children to a heritage Greek school, and runs an outreach network that has funded clean-water wells in Africa and meals for neighbors in Des Plaines.
A Parish That Has Moved Three Times
The community of the Holy Taxiarhai was begun by a small group of Greek Orthodox immigrants on the northwest side of Chicago, where the fledgling parish struggled to take hold. In 1951 a young priest, Father Chrysostomos Economakos, was recruited to lead the work. In honor of his father's patron saint, he asked that the name of Saint Haralambos be added, and the parish of the Holy Taxiarhai and Saint Haralambos was officially incorporated as a Greek Orthodox church. The first services were held in a former Protestant church on North Richmond Avenue.
Father Economakos, himself born in Greece, was determined that the children of the parish learn the language, culture and faith of his homeland. In September of 1951 the Aristotle Greek School was founded. By 1956 the Richmond Avenue facilities had been outgrown; the church was sold and the parish purchased a former Jewish temple on North California in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. The new location gave the parish more space, the Aristotle school was housed in an adjacent building, and enrollment tripled.
Within six years the mortgage was retired. By 1964 the community center had been fully renovated, by 1968 the church exterior was restored, and by 1970 the interior iconography was complete. In 1975 the parish sold the Humboldt Park property and, without a permanent home, rented worship space first at Edgebrook Community Lutheran Church and then at Saint Michael's Carpatho Russian Orthodox Church in Niles. With the help of Niles Mayor Nicholas Blase, Father Athenagoras Aneste located a parcel on Caldwell Avenue in 1978, and Reverend George Phillipas was assigned as the new priest. About 60 families decided to make this the permanent home of the parish.
Reverend Constantine Botsis was assigned as an interim priest in August of 1982. By the end of 1983 the parish had doubled to 120 families, and in June of 1983 the building that housed the Greek school and Sunday School was demolished to make way for a new community center, which opened in June of 1984. The old house of worship was torn down in June of 1987, and the groundbreaking for the present church took place on June 14, 1987. The first Divine Liturgy in the new building was celebrated on November 13, 1988. Work on the iconostasis, iconography and seating continued in stages, and in September of 2013 the parish gathered for the Consecration of the church. A Consecration Godparent campaign raised more than $500,000 for an expanded community center, whose groundbreaking was held on September 16, 2018 and which was substantially completed by the fall of 2020. In August of 2021 Father Tilemahos Alikakos was transferred to the parish, and in October of 2022 he became Proistamenos.
Worship and the Sacraments
Parish life at Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos revolves around the liturgical calendar of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. More than 190 worship services are scheduled in a typical year, alongside sacraments and special services. Sunday Divine Liturgy begins at 9:30 a.m., with altar servers expected to be in place by 9:20 a.m. The parish belongs to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, within the Metropolis of Chicago.
Worship here follows the understanding expressed on the parish site: that Orthodox worship is both a manifestation of God's presence and a corporate response of thanksgiving, centered on the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Divine Liturgy, the Holy Eucharist, the cycle of daily prayers, the Akathist Hymn, the service of Holy Confession, Holy Lent and Pascha, and the full range of special services and blessings form the rhythm of the year.
Confession is offered by appointment with the clergy; during Advent and Great Lent, regular times are set aside and reservations can be made online. Pastoral visitation to the hospitalized and homebound, pre-marital counseling, baptisms, weddings, the 40-day blessing of infants, memorial services at 40 days, six months and the annual commemoration, and funeral services for the departed are all part of the community's sacramental life. The parish teaches that cremation is viewed by the Orthodox Church as a denial of the resurrection and that, where cremation is intended, the honor of a church funeral is not given.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
The Clergy and the Chant Stand
Father Tilemahos Alikakos, the Proistamenos, was born in Melrose Park in 1972 and spent part of his childhood in Sparta, Greece. He attended Rolling Meadows High School and Loyola University Chicago, where he graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in mathematics and statistics in 1994, having first learned Byzantine chant at Saint Haralambos under Mr. Bonanos. He earned his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1997, served with Metropolitan Nikitas as a lay missionary in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, and was ordained in 1999. After assignments at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago, Holy Trinity in Sioux City, Iowa, and Saint Spyridon in Palos Heights, he was transferred to Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos in August of 2021 and became Proistamenos in October of 2022.
Deacon Elias Pagones and Diakonissa Amelia Pagones joined the parish after Dn. Elias was ordained to the diaconate on February 7, 2026 by His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. Deacon Elias holds a Master of Divinity and a Certificate in Byzantine Music from Hellenic College Holy Cross, and he serves the Metropolis of Chicago while assisting at the parish.
The Protopsalti, or chief chanter, is Father Dean, who was born and raised in Constantinople and trained at the Theological School of Halki before migrating to Greece and then to the United States in 1977. A protopsalti in Chicago, he was for six years a student of Basilios Nikolaidis, the late Archon Protopsalti of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Now semi-retired, he continues to serve the chanting stand at Saint Haralambos full time.
Parish Council, Staff and Stewardship
The Parish Council is led by President Tom Sikoral, Vice President George Giolas, Treasurer Tom Zavos, Assistant Treasurer George Houpis, Secretary Nick Megremis, and Assistant Secretary Argy Koutsikos, together with council members Andy Andrews, Dr. Thomas Bournias, Bill Bozikis, Anthony Calabrese, George Coologeorgen, Angelo Demeros, Evan Dimoutsikos, Chris Haralampopoulos, John Karnezis, Eleni Kiriazopoulos, Joseph Ksiazek, David Loomos, Louie Psyhogios, Anthony Rizos and Constantine Tziavaras.
The parish office is staffed by Anastasia Sikoral, who has worked in the office since 2014 and serves as Co-Director of the Sunday School program. Anna Prekas is the Facilities Manager and Parish Administrator, coordinating office requests, facility use, custodial services, communications and financial processes across the ministries. Anastasia Liapi coordinates the Aristotle Greek School.
Office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays during the Afternoon Greek School, and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays during the Saturday Greek School. Stewardship, the parish teaches, is the grateful response of Orthodox Christians to God's grace, sustaining the liturgical, educational, youth, family and philanthropic life of the community.
The Aristotle Greek School
The Aristotle Greek School, founded in 1951 by Father Economakos alongside the parish itself, remains the heart of the community's language and culture ministry. It teaches Greek language, Greek culture and the Greek Orthodox faith to children from preschool through junior high, with a curriculum designed to strengthen faith, enrich cultural identity and develop bilingual ability.
The Aristotle Afternoon Greek School meets on Tuesdays and Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for Greek language classes and from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for Greek dance. The Aristotle Saturday Greek School meets from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for language classes and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for dance. The Aristotle Day School offers a preschool program and is housed on the parish campus.
Children, Youth and Family Ministries
The parish runs an extensive program for its younger members. Sunday School, Little Angels (toddlers from 40 days to age 4, meeting Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon and Sundays after Holy Communion), the Family Night ministry for Pre-K through 5th grade families, the Altar Boys program for young men in grades 1 through 12, and the Myrofores group for Orthodox young women in grades 5 through 12 all meet during the program year.
Jr. GOYA serves youth in grades 6 through 8 and Sr. GOYA serves teens in grades 9 through 12; both typically meet every other Monday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for fellowship, education and service. The Young Adult League (YAL) gathers young adults ages 18 to 35, with Thursday night open gym in the parish gymnasium for volleyball and basketball. A Vacation Church School is offered each June for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The athletics ministry, led by Dave Loomos, fields teams in the Metropolis Basketball League and the Jr. Olympics for children in grades 1 through 12, practices and tournaments are held in the parish gymnasium, and there are open gym opportunities for adults.
Philoptochos and the Women's Philanthropic Society
The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, the duly accredited women's philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, maintains a chapter at Saint Haralambos. The local chapter is led by President Sandy Grivas, 1st Vice President Amalia Deligiannis, 2nd Vice President Argy Koutsikos, Recording Secretary Margaret Barlas, Corresponding Secretary Ritsa Bazianos, Treasurer Rubine Giannopoulos, Assistant Treasurer Pauline Gianakopoulos, and Advisor Georgia Kolovos. The chapter meets monthly and supports the charitable work of the national body, which serves the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, those with disabilities and the victims of disasters.
Outreach: Wells, Meals and Mercy
The Outreach Committee, led by George Giolas, organizes a wide circle of service. The parish has completed five water-well projects in Africa and has raised more than $30,750 for the effort, with current projects in South Sudan and at the Rena Light Nursery and Primary School in Uganda through H2O for Life. A Vessel of Hope ministry has shipped containers of humanitarian aid; a vessel to Madagascar was completed in 2025 and a vessel to Kenya is in planning.
Locally, the parish partners with WINGS, an organization serving individuals and families affected by domestic violence, by collecting food, personal-care items, household essentials, infant supplies and gift cards. A monthly meal ministry delivers bread, soup, salad, entrée, sides, vegetables, dessert and fresh fruit to families facing illness, grief or hardship. On the last Monday of each month, volunteers prepare food at the church from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and serve at Bessie's Table at First United Methodist Church in Des Plaines from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Loaves and Fishes food pantry collection gathers groceries for local food pantries, with baskets located outside the church office. A prison ministry penpal program partners with the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), a seasonal coat drive collects winter outerwear in October and November, and the annual DCFS Toy Drive brings Christmas gifts to children served by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The parish also hosts Night to Shine, a prom-style evening for individuals with special needs.
Bible Study, Inreach and the Iconography Project
A Bible study group meets in person at the church every Thursday at 7:00 p.m., currently working through the Book of Genesis. The Inreach Committee organizes adult religious education, including a women's retreat in early fall and a Lenten lecture series during Great Lent that follows the Presanctified Liturgy each Wednesday. Byzantine music is taught as part of the parish's educational offerings.
A long-running iconography project continues inside the church. New icons are planned for the north and south walls, arches and choir balcony, including major scenes of the life of the Panagia, Old Testament scenes prefiguring her, scenes from the life of Christ, the icon of the Panagia with the Christ Child and the Prophet Elias on the west wall, twenty-two full-body icons of saints, and thirty-five medallion icons. Donors may sponsor individual icons at designated gift levels.
Becoming Orthodox and Joining the Parish
Those interested in the Orthodox Christian faith are invited to attend services and to make an appointment with Father Tilemahos to begin a conversation. The parish offers an Introduction to Orthodox Christianity class and a Faith and Learning catechism program. Baptisms, weddings, the 40-day blessing of infants, memorial services, hospital visitation, and preparation for holy confession are all arranged through the parish office.
The Archangels Books and Gifts bookstore on the parish campus carries Orthodox Christian books from more than thirty publishers in the United States, England and Greece, along with icons, prayer ropes, jewelry and home goods. It is open on Sundays after the Divine Liturgy and on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Seventy-five years after a handful of Greek immigrants gathered on the northwest side of Chicago, Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos remains rooted in the Byzantine liturgical tradition that founded it, with a community center, a gymnasium, a Greek school, and a parish family that looks ahead to the next chapter on Caldwell Avenue.