Published by St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, April 9, 2005

PUEBLO’S GREEK COMMUNITY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

The parish community of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church will celebrate 100 years with a gala weekend celebration on Oct. 8 and 9 in Pueblo, Colorado.

The parish history, heritage and traditions will be showcased and honored during the once-in-a-lifetime event. In preparation for the event, parish members are busy putting together a commemorative book, highlighting the history of the church and families of Southern Colorado’s Greek community, past, present and future. The book will include vintage photographs, family histories, a history of the church and other contributions by community members and businesses.

Greek immigrants came to Southern Colorado before the turn of the century to work for the mines and railroads in the area. Pueblo’s steel mill became a major employer of Greeks, who formed the charter in 1905 and finished the church and parish house in 1907. The area’s history is rich, and the Greek’s contributions were many.

The centennial celebration gets underway on Sept. 10 and 11, with the annual Greek food festival on the church grounds. Entertainment will be provided by the St. George Greek Folk Dance group from Albuquerque, NM.

The centennial celebration on Saturday, Oct. 8 begins with tours of the church, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, and a history presentation. At 5 p.m., a Vesper Memorial Service honoring the immigrants will be conducted. Then, His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver and Vasiliki Limberis, Th.D., Associate Professor of Ancient Christianity at Temple University, will speak at the scheduled dinner at the Pueblo Convention Center.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Isaiah and esteemed clergy will begin at 10 a.m. The Assumption Cathedral Choir from Denver will take part of the service in the historic church.

Immediately after Liturgy, a reception and traditional Greek dinner will be held at the Pueblo Convention Center. The guest speaker is Harry Mark Petrakis, celebrated author and lecturer, whose own personal story captures the true reality of the Greek immigrants.

Center stage then belongs to the celebration, with the entertainment of the Chris Dokas Band and the Dionysios Greek Folk Dance Group from Salt Lake City, Utah. The public is invited to join the celebration and dance.

All functions are open to the general public and tickets go on sale May 15, 2005.

The parish is still seeking information about people who were part of this community over the years. If you or your ancestors were part of the Greek community at St. John’s, or if St. John’s has touched you in some way, please contact Penny Zavickas at 719/564-5604 or Gina Trovas Schaarschmidt at 719/598-3554 or gina@stjohngoc-pueblo.org. Or visit St. John’s on line at www.stjohngoc-pueblo.org.



Volume 7 Number 15 - Tuesday, April 12th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY