The greatest man I've ever known

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant." - Matthew 25:21

This, of course, is normally a space devoted to one of my passions, professional wrestling. It's where a lot of fans, friends and readers look for their weekly wrestling fix.

But on special occasions, such as today, I would like to beg your indulgence and share a slightly different type of story.

The world lost a very special person this past week with the passing of the Rev. Nicholas C. Trivelas. If you've lived in Charleston for any length of time, chances are you've heard of this humble servant who led the Greek community, like a shepherd leads his flock, for the past 60 years. If you're new to the area, allow me to tell you who Nicholas Trivelas was.

He was the greatest man I've ever known.

Forget your perceptions of today's breed of feel-good, prosperity preachers, in their country clubs with steeples, who far too often talk the talk but don't walk the walk. This man was the living, breathing example of goodness walking amongst us.

Officially, Father Nick was 87, but in all my years I never felt he had aged. Maybe it was his deep love and affection for children that kept him forever young.

I remember once when a small child, spotting the priest without his familiar black robe in a restaurant, immediately remarked to his parents, "God doesn't have his right clothes on!"

To generations of children, who had been taught the true meaning of God's love by Father Nick, he indeed was the closest thing they had experienced.

"Pater" (Greek word for Father) came to Charleston in 1948 after having graduated from the Holy Cross Theological Seminary several years earlier, bringing with him a wonderful wife, Despina, who shared her husband's caring, compassion and dedication to the church and its parishioners. Four children would be raised in the shadow of that same nurturing love.

For a group rich in tradition and history, he was the glue that tied the Greek community together ever since he first assumed his duties as parish priest. Sixty years later, he leaves behind a legacy of love and a beautiful community that was blessed by his presence.

As a child, I was awed by his kindness and goodness. As an adult, I came to realize just how lucky I was to have known him. It's impossible to put into words, but being around him, I never doubted once that there was something bigger than the both of us.

There was that constant smile that radiated a special warmth and peacefulness. If you ever wanted to feel comfortable in someone's presence, Father Nick would have been that person. Just being around him made you want to be a better person.

But I think it was his selflessness and profound humility that I came to admire the most.

Never once did I hear him brag or boast, or extol his virtues at the expense of another. He reached out to all in the community, and the breadth of his influence extended far beyond this city, this state or this country.

The honors and accolades he received over the years are far too numerous to mention. And while I'm sure he appreciated them all, they were simply footnotes to a much greater calling.

Father Nick was the one constant in the lives of generations of Greek-American families here in Charleston. He performed hundreds of weddings and baptisms over the past half century.

He married my parents nearly 60 years ago. He married my wife and me. He baptized our children. He blessed our homes.

He was always there for life's seminal moments — the laughing, the crying, the beginning of a life as well as the end of one.

I never felt closer to heaven than when in his presence. I couldn't explain it 50 years ago, and I still can't explain it today. Maybe that's the way it should be.

But he had that effect on everyone.

His beautiful, baritone voice graced the church for all those years, even in his latter days, as if it truly was a gift from God. Even when he spoke, the words seemed to flow like lyrics from a song, whether he was reciting the Divine Liturgy or simply speaking to a child.

I'll miss his love and I'll miss his laughter. But I'll take with that a mighty good feeling that he left some of that in all of us.

Father Nick's final liturgy was held Wednesday at the grand Byzantine-style church on Race Street whose construction he oversaw more than a half-century ago. Generations were there to say their final good-byes, and thanks, to a man who shaped their lives. His life's journey was complete; his faith had become sight.

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

I have no doubt those simple, but powerful, words were spoken this week to Nicholas Trivelas.

Reach Mike Mooneyham at (843) 937-5517 or mooneyham@postandcourier.com.