[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 18866-18867]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING ST. MARY'S ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON THE OCCASION OF 
                         ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 21, 2004

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the 
House of Representatives to St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church in 
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on the joyous occasion of its 100th 
anniversary.
  This church has a rich history in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The 
first immigrants to the area from Syria and Lebanon traveled to our 
region in the 1890s. By 1904, there were about 35 families who grouped 
together to form the first parish of St. Mary. On March 13, 1904, 
Archimandrite Raphael Hawaweeney organized St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox 
Men's Group. In the Spring of 1904, a young man named John Michael 
Curry Saba was ordained as the first priest of St. Mary's.
  The parish bought the land on which to build a church at 132 High 
Street for $300. From 1904 through 1908, the congregation

[[Page 18867]]

gathered in a private home. In 1907, Father George Kattouf was ordained 
and became pastor of St. Mary's.
  By 1907, the parish had grown to about 65 families. A Russian 
Orthodox contractor named Michael Hlipko offered to build the church 
for $8,500.
  St. Mary's was the first Antiochian parish established in the United 
States. On November 3, 1908, the parish received its official charter 
of incorporation for Luzeme County and the state of Pennsylvania. The 
official name was St. Mary's Syrian Greek Orthodox Catholic Church of 
Wilkes-Barre and vicinity. The first liturgy was held in 1908 and the 
Church was consecrated by Bishop Raphael during a visit in 1911 to 
celebrate the burning of the church's mortgage.
  A rectory was built in 1912 and the old part of the Church cemetery 
in Hanover Township was also acquired. Father Joseph Elia Xanthopoulos 
became the pastor in 1912 when Father George moved to Allentown. Father 
Joseph was fluent in Arabic and Greek, and he chanted in Byzantine. He 
started a Syrian school for young people, who had begun to chant with 
him during the service.
  The community began to split in 1914 because the Syrian Mission in 
America began to divide. During this time, services were held at the 
church on High Street for those following the Russian Patriarch, and at 
107 Blackman Street, for those following the Antiochian Patriarch.
  Several pastors served the Church through the years: Father Daniel 
George, Father Abdallah Khoury, Father Constantine Abou-Adal, 
Archbishop Aftimios Ofeish and Father George Mitchell, Father Anthony 
Sakey, Father Nicholas Hussan and Father Herbert Nahas.
  In 1958, the parishioners decided they wanted to build a new Church, 
Hall and Rectory. They chose a site at the south end of Main Street and 
purchased it for $28,500 in 1964. This turned out to be a blessing in 
disguise, as the other three sites that had been considered were 
completely submerged in 16 feet of water by Hurricane Agnes in June 
1972.
  When Agnes hit Wilkes-Barre, 108 families from the parish were left 
homeless. The businesses of 35 parishioners were closed for months. 
Miraculously, the flood waters stopped just outside the parish hall 
doors, and the building became one of many shelters. The men and women 
of St. Mary's worked tirelessly to help the victims of the devastating 
flood.
  In 1985, Father Edward Hughes became pastor of the Church, followed 
by Father Mark Sahady in 1994. Father Thomas Zain came to St. Mary's in 
1994 and served as pastor until 1997. Father John Winfrey became pastor 
of the Church in 1997. The Very Reverend Father David Hester came to 
St. Mary's in 2000 and currently serves as pastor.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to represent a parish community with 
such a rich history. The parishioners at St. Mary's have preserved 
their heritage and kept meticulous records of their history to pass on 
to future generations, and I congratulate them on the joyful occasion 
of the Church's 100th anniversary.

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