Parish History

With the arrival of the first Greek immigrants in Newburgh in the early 1900s, the first Greek Orthodox Church in Newburgh, St. Nicholas, was established in 1924 at 27 Chambers Street.  In November 1934, the current church building at the corner of Fullerton Avenue and Van Ness Street was acquired. 

For many years St. Nicholas served not only communicants from the greater Newburgh area but also those who traveled from Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster Counties until the establishment of Greek Orthodox churches in Middletown, Kingston and West Nyack.  With the construction of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the 1960s, families from Dutchess County joined the St. Nicholas community.

The first priest assigned to St. Nicholas was Father Petropoulos who served the community until the late 1930s when he was succeeded by Father Evstratios Spyropoulos.  In more recent times, Father Phillip Sakellson served as St. Nicholas' priest for approximately 30 years, retiring in 1999.  Subsequently, Father Charles Joanides was assigned as St. Nicholas' pastor, and after serving for 10 years, was succeeded by Father John Angel. Upon Father John's retirement in July 2022, Father Ioannikios Gregoriades became the current priest of St. Nicholas.