Saints Raphael Nicholas and Irene Greek Orthodox Church Tampa
Palm Harbor, United States
In the winter of 1996, Mr. and Mrs. Nikitas Damianakis placed their hope in God and made a leap of faith. Despite Nikitas' advanced emphysema, he and his wife Elaine made the trip from Palm Harbor, FL, to Atlanta, GA to request the Episcopal blessings of Metropolitan Alexios in order to pursue their dream of honoring Saints Raphael, Nicholas & Irene of Thermi, Lesvos. His Eminence Alexios did, in fact, grant his blessings to build the first Greek Orthodox Church in America in honor of these newly manifested saints.