St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church (Lowell, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 61 Bowers Street Lowell, Massachusetts |
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| NRHP reference No. | 08000507 |
| Added to NRHP | June 10, 2008 |
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is a special church in Lowell, Massachusetts. It belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. This church is part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
Lowell has several Eastern Orthodox churches. St. George is one of them. Other churches include Holy Trinity and Transfiguration.
Contents
History of St. George Church
Early Beginnings in Lowell
The first families from Syria and Lebanon arrived in Lowell around the 1880s. They came from towns like Aita al-Foukhar in Lebanon and Saydnaya in Syria. These families brought their ancient Christian faith, Eastern Orthodoxy, with them.
At first, there was no church building for them. So, when a priest was available, Sunday services were held in people's homes.
Building a Place of Worship
Dedicated church members worked hard to find a permanent place. In 1917, they bought the building that is now St. George Church. It was originally built in 1883 by a group called French Huguenots. They were a type of Protestant Christian.
It took two years to change the building. They made it ready to be an Orthodox church. On May 25, 1919, the church was officially opened. A leader named Metropolitan Germanos Shehadeh led the special ceremony.
Growth of the Community
When the church first opened, it had about 25 to 30 families. Over the years, more Orthodox Christians moved to the area. This helped the church community grow much larger.
Lowell is a unique city. About one-fifth of the people living there are Eastern Orthodox Christians. The members of St. George Church are proud of their community. Many of them are professionals like doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Many are also successful business people.
Church Leaders Over Time
St. George Church has been guided by many important leaders called Metropolitans or Archbishops. Since 1975, it has been under the care of Metropolitan Archbishop Philip Saliba and other bishops.
Over the years, the church building has been improved many times. In the mid-1980s, beautiful new icons were added. Icons are special religious paintings. A famous artist named Youssis painted them.
Two of the most amazing icons are:
- A stunning image of the Holy Virgin Mary, called the Platytera, in the back part of the church.
- A grand icon of Jesus, called the Pantocrator, directly above.
More recently, air conditioning was installed to make the church more comfortable.
Recognized as a Historic Place
National Register of Historic Places
St. George Church in Lowell was added to the National Register of Historic Places in June 2008. This is a list of important historical places in the United States.
The church was recognized because of its connection to immigrants. These immigrants worked in the mills that made Lowell famous. Lowell was a major center during the American Industrial Revolution. The church represents the history of these families and their contributions to the city.
See also
