| RECTOR’S
WELCOME
Dear Friends,
To be
a Christian means to be part of the church which enables us to practice
cur active commitment to our belief In God and to acknowledge Christ In
our way of life.
The Church
Is the Body of Christ on earth, the fellowship of the faithful. Its members
worship together and help one another to learn and practice the faith.
With the help of God and each other, we seek to become better Christians.
Since
the very beginning, the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Thomas has worked
together, diligently and unselfishly, to become the 'ecclesia’, an expanded
family that receives its blessings from almighty God.
While
striving for this goal we offer a full program of activities for our parishioners
of all ages, and encourage all members to participate as actively as they
can. We invite you to join us In His work.
With love
for our Lord,
Fr. Emmanuel
Pratsinakis
Rector |
Our
Beginnings
The seeds of our parish were sown over 50 years ago by a small group of
Greek Orthodox from the South Jersey area who perceived a need for a church
to serve the Philadelphia metropolitan area in its New Jersey suburbs.
As more and more Greek-Americans moved into the area, spirit and enthusiasm
for this idea grew.
Efforts began as a charter was assigned, property purchased, a parish council
chosen and funds raised in order to build a church. On May 7, 1966
ground breaking ceremonies for the build of the new church were held and
the construction the St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church began in earnest
- culminating with the opening of the church doors on October 1, 1967.
The next several years saw the people of St. Thomas church working feverishly
for their parish and the installation of the stained glass windows, the
Iconostasias, the beautiful iconography and other appointments that currently
adorn the church. Moreover, on November 13, 1973 the General Assembly
decided to build a cultural center to enhance religious and cultural programs.
On February 22, 1977 the General Assembly authorized the commencement of
fund raising for the construction of the cultural center. Ground
breaking ceremonies were held on April 17, 1977. Construction was
soon completed and the official of the St. Thomas Hellenic Cultural Center
was held on October 8, 1978. Further beautification of the church
continued and was realized with the installation of the iconography portraying
the history of salvation that graces the upper walls of the church on May
18, 1982.
Most recently, our parish celebrated its consecration on April 14, 1991,
fulfilling the hopes and dreams of our parishioners. Our story continues...... |
