Father Dean Gigicos is a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. For this podcast, Father Gigicos met with me at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on St. Bernard Avenue at Robert E. Lee Boulevard. Many are familiar with this beautiful church that overlooks Bayou St. John because of the popular Greek Festival the church holds each year.
Although the Greek Orthodox Church has a long history in New Orleans, many New Orleanians are unfamiliar with the church and its traditions. Father Gigicos describes the Greek Lenten season and explains how Greek Orthodox Christians observe this solemn time. In contrast to the Roman Catholic Church, where Lent lasts 40 days, the Greek Orthodox Church observes Lent for 46 days. Father goes on to tell us that New Orleans has the distinction of being the home of the first Greek Orthodox Church in the United States. He also shares some fascinating facts about the origins of the Greek Orthodox Church.
