Храм св. Димитрия (Балтимор)

To dream something is one thing — to watch it take shape and form is the foundation of a lifetime. For those seeking to begin a third Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore, that dream has become a reality; a life-long pilgrimage to erect God’s house for all those to follow and to the eternal Glory of His name. The history of the Saint Demetrios Parish began when the need for a third Greek Orthodox Church in the suburbs of Baltimore permeated the thoughts of many people for many years. During a pastoral visit to Baltimore, His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos, spoke with Christopher Makres of the church’s need to move out where the people are and recommended that the young people of Baltimore should meet in the suburbs and set the foundation for a new church. What followed, and in a short amount of time, is testimony of the will of man seeking to do works pleasing unto the Lord. For the next several weeks, dedicated and enthusiastic young stewards including Christopher Makres, Constantine Alexion, Dan Stamathis, Michael Karas, Gabriel Pantelides and John Sitaras tapped on the shoulders of other strong faithful of Baltimore to see if there was sufficient interest in following the directive of Archbishop Iakovos. By word of mouth, interest grew among the young people who were called and guided by the Holy Spirit to an incredible challenge; one that would be a cornerstone of their lives. Several preliminary meetings were held leading up to the celebrated first general meeting of November 29, 1969 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Pantelides. It was agreed that a church should be founded to serve the spiritual needs of the Greek Orthodox faithful in order to preserve and perpetuate their religious and cultural heritage.

With task at hand and much apprehension, the members of the Steering Committee established at this meeting set out to lay the foundation of what was to come. Much of our humble beginnings is due in large part to the vision and dedication of these early stewards of the church. Following the first meeting in New York with His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos on February 3, 1970, a pledge drive was initiated. This began an impressive first year. In order to meet the requirements of the Archdiocese, signatures representing 102 families and pledges totaling over $100,000 were gathered within 30 days. At the charter meeting held April 5, 1970 at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, an interim Parish Council was elected to begin the necessary deliberations that would lead themselves down a daring path of becoming the third Greek Orthodox parish in Baltimore. On May 15, 1970, all the hard work up to this point was recognized when the Archdiocese granted our Ecclesiastical Charter giving us life and a concrete foothold from which the growth evolved… Soon after, plans began to celebrate the 20th Anniversary and Consecration of our parish. However, the untimely illness of Archbishop Iakovos put the Consecration on hold for five years, but that did not stop us. A tremendous out-pouring of love and dedication was bestowed upon our parish by many families wishing to gift the community with the major appointments of the church. These gifts were rapid and significant, signifying the strength of the community as a whole. The permanent Altar Table and Table of Oblation were dedicated on November 19, 1989. The Baptismal Font was dedicated August 5, 1990 followed by the Platytera Icon on October 21, 1990. The Pangari dedication followed on March 24, 1991. The icons of the Inner Narthex were dedicated on May 31, 1992. In the following year, the Proskynitaria and Pulpit (September 19) and the Pantokrator Icon and Dome (October 24) were dedicated. The Bishop’s Throne was dedicated on November 20, 1994 and the Sanctuary Icons on May 14, 1995. Finally, the Cantor Stand (September 10) and Iconostasion (October 1) were dedicated in 1995. These represent the last major appointments for our beloved parish. Our community has always been blessed by the generosity of its people since its inception; however, this segment of our history was beyond belief.

The Silver Anniversary of our Saint Demetrios parish was observed in many significant ways. Some of the highlights during the year-long celebration include the Altar Boy reunion on January 9, 1994 where the solea of the sanctuary was replete with the young boys (now mature adult men) who served their Lord — a moving and overwhelming experience. This was followed by the equally memorable celebration of Baptisms on June 5 and Weddings on September 25 when all the respective participants of the past twenty-five years of these two sacraments were honored and acknowledged. Finally, the twenty-fifth year celebrations were capped with a beautiful concert in the sanctuary offered by our choir on November 6 and a Hierarchical Liturgy on November 27 with His Excellency, Metropolitan Silas officiating. A Grand Banquet closed this milestone year in our life. In our thirty-three years of existence we have not only grown by numbers and bricks and mortar, but spiritually as well. The ministries of the church expanded or changed. The church reached out to its own people and beyond and the strong roots allowed this spiritual family to grow. Saint Demetrios Church offers many varied programs for all that wish to partake. So you see, the call to build God’s house was answered by those young, energetic people who sought to erect a Church «for the glory of God.» This Church now stands high on a hill where it cannot be hid. It will stand there as a beacon and, hopefully, it will give light «to all in the house.» It has become a religious community where the faithful Orthodox worship the Lord and work with steadfastness and live with joyful anticipation in His vineyard. Set on this hill, the light of this Church is a magnet lifting up and enlarging the vision of all people, guiding them to the knowledge of the Lord in this age and for ages to come. Many have worked a lifetime to lead us to this point. We must now strive to perpetuate what has been done and fortify the foundation for generations to come. We stand here now having consecrated the House of the Lord in awe of our accomplishments. This House is now sanctified, reborn and full of the light of life provided by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Адрес:
P.O. Box 28218
2504 Cub Hill Road
Baltimore, MD 21234

Phone/Fax
Telephone: (410) 661-1090
Fax: (410) 661-1134

Источник: www.stdemetriosmd.org