In the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church anchors a community that gathers each Sunday around the Divine Liturgy, around its century-old Koraes Elementary School, and around the long tables of Graven Hall for Greek Fest, the Senior Luncheon, and the parish's many cultural gatherings. Located on Roberts Road in Palos Hills, the parish carries a motto that captures its identity: "Glory, Grace, and Giving."

Sunday Worship in the Byzantine Tradition

Sunday is the heart of the week. Orthros begins at 8:15 a.m. and the Divine Liturgy follows at 9:30 a.m., with both services taking place in the church's sanctuary. The parish observes the Orthodox liturgical calendar, which means that special feast days, Lenten services, and Holy Week observances shape the rhythm of the year.

The Patronal Feast of Ss. Constantine and Helen falls in late May and is celebrated alongside the Great Feast of the Ascension. On the eve of the feast, Vespers is presided over by His Grace Bishop Dionysios of Zenopolis; on the feast day itself, His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago presides at the Divine Liturgy, with a community luncheon to follow in Graven Hall.

During Great Lent, additional services fill the week. Clean Monday opens the season with Great Compline at 5:00 p.m., followed by a Lenten dinner in Graven Hall. The Salutations to the Theotokos are sung on the Friday evenings of Lent, with youth playing a central role in processions and chant. Holy Week brings girls from second grade up to the sanctuary to hold candles for the first four evening services, while older boys serve at the altar.

Lifelong Formation: Sunday School, Bible Study, and Inquirer Classes

Religious education at Saints Constantine and Helen reaches from toddlers through adults. The Sunday Church School welcomes children from Pre-K through high school. Students begin the day in church at 10:00 a.m. for the Divine Liturgy, are dismissed for class after receiving Holy Communion, and finish class at 11:30 a.m. The school year begins in mid-September, with a $25 registration fee. Director Antigone Campobasso leads a curriculum built around core values that include Christ-centered faith, Holy Tradition and Scripture, liturgical participation, love and community, service and compassion, and partnership with families.

Adults have their own parallel formation. On Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m., English-language Bible Study and Catechism classes meet in the church. On Wednesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m., a separate Greek-language Bible Study gathers for study and fellowship. The Bible Study groups sponsor bus trips to Vespers services throughout the Metropolis of Chicago and to Paraklesis services on Wednesdays during the Christmas and Easter lenten periods. The Greek Bible class also holds lenten bake sales, with proceeds going to needy families.

The "Road to Orthodoxy" inquirer and convert class introduces newcomers to the Orthodox faith through presentations, readings, video discussions, and a church tour, scheduled as needed. Engaged couples preparing for marriage attend the required "Journey to Oneness" pre-marital seminar, and prospective godparents take a Godparent Seminar that explains the Orthodox faith, the theology of Baptism, and the items needed for the service.

St. Helen Women's Philoptochos

The philanthropic heart of the parish is St. Helen Women's Philoptochos, the local chapter of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos organization established in 1931 by Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. The chapter is one of the largest women's religious philanthropic organizations in the United States. Annual membership is open to women of the Greek Orthodox faith who are at least 18 years old, with a $35 minimum contribution.

The chapter's officers include President Chris Pitsis Privoznik, 1st Vice President Antigone Campobasso, 2nd Vice President Sandra Chakonas, Recording Secretary Kathy Roupas, Corresponding Secretary Mary Ann Ganzer, and Treasurer Alexandra Smirniotis. The chapter's mission is to aid the poor, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the widowed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the handicapped, those with disabilities, the victims of disasters and domestic violence, and anyone else in need of the Church's help.

Locally, St. Helen's donates roughly $20,000 annually to a wide circle of partner organizations that include Ronald McDonald House, Pacific Garden Mission, MorningStar Mission in Joliet, the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, Metropolis Feed the Hungry, Feed Six, Pathlights Meals on Wheels, IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities), Aid to Greece and Cyprus, Pro Labore Dei in Robbins, the Autism Assistance Fund, the Cancer Fund, Lighthouse for the Blind, Park Lawn, Fisher House, Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre, North Palos #117 Backpacks, the National Philoptochos Emergency Fund, and Zelda's Kitchen Witches, which provides new kitchen items to women fleeing domestic violence and homelessness. The chapter was honored by Zelda's Kitchen Witches for its long-standing partnership.

Philoptochos members are famous for their koulourakia cookies, baking more than 4,000 in a single day for the Easter sale. Festival Baking Days each August invite the wider community to learn the art of Greek pastry from Philoptochos members ahead of Greek Fest. Other ongoing fundraisers include the Treasured Recipes and Memories Cookbook, now in its fourth edition with more than 500 recipes contributed by Philoptochos members. Christianiki Philoxenia, an annual luncheon founded in 2012 by parishioner Aggeliki (Koula) Pitsis together with Father Byron Papanikolaou, is dedicated to Christian love, fellowship, and hospitality toward the parish's seniors.

Koraes Elementary School

Saints Constantine and Helen is home to Koraes Elementary School, founded in 1910 as the second Greek Orthodox parochial school established in Chicago. The school and parish were originally located at 64th and Michigan in Chicago and have moved and grown together for more than a century. The school takes its name from Adamantios Koraes (1748 to 1833), a scholar of the Modern Greek language and an intellectual father of the Greek War of Independence.

Today, 200 students from more than 140 families attend Koraes. The school offers robust Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 classrooms, full-day kindergarten, elementary grades that exceed district norms in reading, math, and comprehension on MAP testing, and a Middle School program in grades 5 through 8 that places graduates in Honors and Advanced Placement classes at area high schools. Many graduates earn the Seal of Biliteracy by passing the B1 Ellinomatheia Exam.

Principal Beth Lind leads a faculty committed to academic excellence and Orthodox Christian formation. The annual Koraes Gala in October is one of the school's largest fundraisers, and the Fr. Byron Open golf outing each summer at Hickory Hills Country Club raises additional support for both the parish and school.

Youth, GOYA, and the Athletic Tradition

Young people have a wide range of programming. The Greek Orthodox Youth Association, known as GOYA, serves students in grades 8 through 12 and gathers throughout the year for retreats, bonfires, and barbecues, including an annual Lenten overnight retreat at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center in Kansasville, Wisconsin. The Junior Olympics send parish athletes to compete in the annual Metropolis of Chicago tournament.

For younger children, St. Tatiana's Handmaidens brings together girls from second grade upward for fellowship and service, with regular Coffee Hours following the Divine Liturgy. Altar Boys serve in the sanctuary from fourth grade and up.

Athletics also has its own strong tradition. Adult men, 18 and up, play basketball Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. in the parish gym from September through July, organized by Angelo Fotopoulos. The SSCH Rec League runs co-ed youth basketball on Friday evenings from October through February for Pre-K through 8th grade, with volunteer coaches at every level, organized by Theo Kontorvadis. The GOAL and Papaflessas leagues round out the basketball ecosystem, and Soccer Shots offers programming for ages 2 to 8 on the parish fields.

Greek Fest, Theatre, and Cultural Life at Graven Hall

Beyond the sanctuary, the parish's Graven Hall and adjacent facilities host a busy calendar of cultural events that draw both parishioners and the wider southwest suburban community. The annual Palos Hills Greek Fest in mid-August features Greek food, music, and dance, with Philoptochos leading Festival Baking Days in the weeks beforehand. Concerts and performances by artists such as PAVLO bring national acts to Graven Hall.

The Greek-language theater group Ektos Edras (Εκτος Εδρας) stages productions such as "Sympetheroi from Tirana," a comedy performed in Greek with 20 percent of ticket sales donated back to the parish and school.

The KFSA Community Fall Fest, hosted by the Koraes Family School Association, opens its doors to all comers each October and is open to the wider community. Other annual events include the Pet Blessing in September, the Backpack Blessing in late August, the Apokriatiko Glendi Luncheon before Lent, Graduate Sunday in June, and the Christianiki Philoxenia senior luncheon in September.

Pastoral Care and Parish Ministries

The parish is led by Rev. Father Chris Avramopoulos, who serves as Proistamenos (presiding priest), with Theodore Kontoravdis as Lay Assistant. Choir Director Merri Fefles-Dunkle leads a Senior Choir open to anyone 16 and older who wishes to enhance the beauty of the Liturgy with chant. The Chanters support the liturgical music tradition.

Family Ministry, organized by Connie Cassiani along with Stacy Vallianatos, Voula Stavrou, Gloria Lalezas, and Maria Deitelhoff, plans monthly family-friendly events that help families connect, learn, and grow with God. The Toddler Play Group, led by Marissa Demir, is a drop-in playgroup for parents and caregivers with little ones, meeting Friday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. on dates published in the church bulletin and on Facebook.

Parishioners support the life of the church through the Stewardship program, with giving available online through the parish's Realm giving page. Services and other content are shared on the parish's YouTube channel, and the parish maintains an active presence on Facebook and Instagram.

Saints Constantine and Helen takes its name from Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Helen, who are remembered in the Greek Orthodox Church as central figures in early Christian history. Constantine's conversion and Helen's pilgrimage to the Holy Land became foundational parts of Christian tradition and hagiography. The parish continues that legacy of faith, learning, and philanthropy in southwest suburban Chicago, gathering Greek Orthodox Christians from Palos Hills, Hickory Hills, and the surrounding south suburbs around the Divine Liturgy, around the school, and around the tables of Graven Hall.