History

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Decatur, Illinois owes its existence to tragedy. In the early years of the twentieth century, a group of Greek men working on the railroad in Decatur died in a tragic accident. Their deaths became a catalyst for the Greek Orthodox community of Central Illinois to come together for the purpose of giving these men a proper Orthodox Christian burial, and out of that act of solidarity the seeds of a permanent parish were sown.

On April 14, 1919, the State of Illinois granted a charter to the Organization of the Hellenic Society of Decatur, with Sam Malleos, Nick Spell, Peter Balamos, James Dovekas, Peter Bacopoulos, George Calfas, and George Davis named as directors. Through the support of Orthodox Christians throughout Central Illinois and the generosity of friends and neighbors in Decatur and the surrounding area, the Hellenic Society became the foundation for the first Greek Orthodox church in Central Illinois. On Christmas Day 1927, Father Emmanuel Papapanagiotou celebrated the very first Divine Liturgy at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

The parish building stands beside the railroad tracks that once brought Greek workers to Decatur and, indirectly, brought the Orthodox faith to Central Illinois. At various times during worship services, the sound of a train rumbling past and blowing its whistle can be heard inside the church, a constant reminder of how God transformed the tragic deaths of those railroad workers into an Orthodox Christian community that has bridged generations, languages, and cultures.

Today, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church serves the faithful of Decatur and Central Illinois as a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, the oldest Greek Orthodox parish in the region and a living witness to the faith its founders planted nearly a century ago.