A community that never gives up
All Saints to celebrate 100 years
WEIRTON — The All Saints Greek Orthodox Church will commemorate 100 years of faith, family and tradition May 12-14 with a centennial celebration, including a worship service led by Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America and head over the 1.5 million practicing Greek Orthodox Christians across the country, and Metropolitan Savas, who leads the local Metropolis of Pittsburgh that includes All Saints.
“To have such a holy man come to Weirton — it’s humbling,” Lamone Glyptis, Centennial Committee Chair, said of Demetrios.
Demetrios and Savas will celebrate the Mother’s Day Divine Liturgy with archdeacons and local priests, including the Rev. Frank Milanese, All Saints pastor, May 14 at the church located at 3528 West St.
Milanese said this was a rare opportunity to attend a liturgy given by Demetrios and only the third time an archbishop has visited the church. Archbishop Iakovos visited during the church’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1967, and Archbishop Athenagoras laid the cornerstone for the current church structure in 1947. Athenagoras would go on to become Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, head of all the Orthodox Christians in the world.
All Saints will welcome sister church Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Steubenville, which will close for the day, with their choir joining the All Saints choir for the service. Other Orthodox Christians, family, friends and guests also are welcome to attend the service, although communion will be limited to those of the Eastern Orthodox faith.
Milanese noted the services have not changed since the fourth century, except for small changes, such as commemorating the U.S. president, instead of the emperor, and, like the church’s architecture and decoration, are in the Byzantine style.
“These traditions are part of what has been passed down to us,” he said, noting that Eastern Orthodox worship dates back to before the schism between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
The church is patterned after Saint Sophia in Constantinople, something suggested by parishioner Alexander Bellas after he visited the famous church. It is decorated ornately in the Byzantine style, and the richness is sometimes surprising to visitors because of the church’s small size, Milanese said.
It features many icons, some of which were created by the parish’s first priest, the Rev. Neophitos Iosafeos, who also was an iconographer. Many icons were brought to the current location from the first All Saints church on Avenue A in the North End.
Overflow seating for the May 14 liturgy will be provided in the church’s parking lot. A tent will be erected in the parking lot, and a large screen television will simultaneously stream the service. Overflow parking will be available at the Municipal Plaza, and a Weirton Transit Authority bus will provide shuttle service between the plaza and the church.
This service will cap off the weekend-long celebration that will include several activities, including Demetrios celebrating Vespers at 3 p.m. May 13, followed by the gala celebration at the Embassy Suites in Coraopolis.
The gala will feature a short program, including remarks from Michael G. Psaros, co-founder and co-managing partner of KPS Capital Partners; and F. John Frangakis, founder of Reynolds Services Inc., both of whom attended All Saints. Frangakis is a life-time member of the church, and Psaros continues to be involved with and supportive of the church, according to Milanese.
A round-trip complimentary charter bus will be available to take those attending the gala to the Embassy Suites, and it will be leaving the church immediately following Vespers May 13. There will be a cocktail hour from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., and the dinner-dance will begin at 7 p.m. with music provided by the Greek Co. Orchestra. Buses will leave the hotel for the church at 10 p.m., and the gala will end at 11 p.m.
Both Demetrios and Savas will be attending the gala and available for a brief social hour before retiring to prepare for the Divine Liturgy the following day.
Those planning to attend the gala must make a reservation at the church offices no later than 2 p.m. April 28. The church office is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, and for information and to check reservation availability, call (304) 797-9884 or email centennial@allsaintswwv.org. Tickets are $100 each for adults, $75 for children aged 13 to 18, $35 for children aged 6 to 12 and free for children younger than 6.
Social events will include a golf tournament, a taverna night, Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls reunion and buffet breakfast and tour of the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center.
The golf tournament will be held May 12 at Williams Golf and Country Club with a shotgun start at noon. The cost for a foursome is $85 and includes green fees, a cart, lunch and beverages. Call the church at (304) 797-9884 for information or to make a reservation by April 30. It is open to the public.
The Taverna Night: All Saints Reunion will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 12 at the church’s Hellenic Memorial Hall. Gourmet mezethakia will be served. The cost is $10 per person, and those 18 and younger are free. Reservations are required. Call the church at (304) 797-9884.
Church volunteers are expecting a large turn out from those who have attended the church in their childhood and relocated.
“You have families related by blood and through marriage, but, in our case, (parishioners) are related by faith,” Argiro Latousakis said. “We have a large church family, and, no matter where they go, they are still part of our family and they still remember us.”
The Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls Reunion and buffet breakfast will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 13 at the Williams Golf and Country Club. The cost is $15 per person and a reservation is required. Call the church at (304) 797-9884.
A tour of the museum and cultural center will begin at 10 a.m. at the center located at 3149 Main St. Reservations are required; call the church at (304) 797-9884.
Throughout the weekend, “a walk through history” will be available at the Old Post Office building adjacent to the church. Several photos, videos and displays highlighting the church’s history, including its Boy and Cub Scouts and Campfire Girls groups, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, the Philoptochos Society, Daughters of Penelope and church choir. Some of the photos are on loan from the Weirton Museum.
“Our church is a lot like Weirton,” Milanese said. “Even in this economy, people are opening businesses. They don’t give up. Our parish looks forward. We reflect on our accomplishments, but we keep going forward.”
