Holy Trinity was the first Greek Orthodox church west of Chicago and Fr. Tsapralis is regarded as their first priest. He arrived in the United States May 19, 1903. A year and a half later, he sent for his wife Eleni and son Basil. They arrived September 17, 1904.
From 1903 – 1936, Fr. Tsapralis served at Holy Trinity. From 1936 until his retirement in 1940, Fr. Tsapralis served at Annunciation Cathedral. After Presbytera Eleni passed away in the mid 1930′s he was given the title of Archimandrite by Archbishop Athenagoras and given the name “Benjamin”. Fr. Tsapralis passed away in 1942 at the age of 73.
It’s important to note that Fr. Tsapralis was a true pioneer. In the early days, there were no other churches and clergy were kept busy traveling all over California, Nevada, and as far as Arizona doing baptisms, marriages, etc., in some cases, in very rural areas. Our archives show that Fr. Tsapralis traveled as far as Fresno by horse and buggy. These priests were dedicated, energetic, and paved the way for others to follow.
The following photographs are from Steve Chapralis photo collection. Click on the lower images to see a larger view. For more Fr. Tsapralis photos please visit the Fr. Tsapralis Photo Library.
- Fr. Tsapralis & Presbytera Eleni (Sinopoulos) Tsapralis. A formal portrait (1900-1905).
Tom and Effie Sagres Wedding (not dated) Effie is Fr. Tsapralis' daughter (Presbytera Eleni is standing far right)
Fr. Constantine Tsapralis (A formal portrait. Late 1930s.)
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