[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAINT VASILIOS GREEK 
               ORTHODOX CHURCH IN PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS

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                          HON. JOHN F. TIERNEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2006

  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the 
Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, to honor the 100th anniversary 
of the Saint Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church in Peabody, Massachusetts. 
The local Greek population, with St. Vasilios as one of its bedrock 
institutions, has been and continues to be a vital part of the Peabody 
community.
  The first Greek immigrants arrived in Peabody at the turn of the last 
century. As their numbers increased, they pooled their resources to buy 
their first property, a simple wooden building on Walnut Street which 
they modeled into a house of worship. On February 26, 1906, they were 
incorporated and chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, naming 
their parish ``St. Vasilios.''
  By 1912, the parish relocated to a larger property on what is now 
called Paleologos Street. There they built a new church, and soon after 
built a school for teaching their children Greek culture and language. 
This was only the sixth such school in the United States, and it has 
operated without interruption ever since. The Byzantine style church 
which was completed on the site and dedicated in 1917 remains a house 
of worship to this day.
  This week in my district, thousands of Hellenic American families 
will commemorate the 100th anniversary of St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox 
Church with religious services and festivities. I congratulate the 
clergy and the congregation of St. Vasilios for reaching this 
noteworthy milestone. The church continues to be a vibrant part of the 
Greek community in Peabody, serving as a house of worship and a 
gathering place. The church provides a vital link to the past and to 
the Greek homeland, its culture and religion. Through its school and 
the celebration of the rich heritage and language of Greece, the people 
of St. Vasilios are ensuring that the values and traditions upon which 
the church was founded will live on for future generations.

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