History

The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Manchester, New Hampshire was born out of both conviction and conflict. In the summer of 1936, the Very Reverend Emilianos Paschalakis, then pastor of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester, was dismissed following a serious disagreement with the Board of Trustees. The dispute ran deep enough that more than 100 families left with Father Paschalakis, and with the blessing of the Archbishop of the Hellenic Church of North and South America, they formed their own community. On August 11, 1936, the "Koimisis Theotokou" Greek Orthodox Church of Manchester, New Hampshire was officially incorporated.

Building a church in the depths of the Great Depression was no simple undertaking. The Greek immigrants who called Manchester's Queen City home worked in the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company's textile mills, in shoe factories, and in small neighborhood businesses such as bakeries and confectioneries. They were not wealthy, but they were determined. The story passed down through generations holds that the parish started with only $1.67. From that seed, parishioners sold $25 bonds through a ten-year Build-a-Church project, donated whole paychecks, gave portions of their grocery money, and some even mortgaged their own homes. Picnics, dances, and socials helped raise the rest. Many of the bonds were never cashed in.

Father Paschalakis himself designed the church in the basilica style, and construction began in the spring of 1937. The founders and their families did the actual labor, everyone taking a turn with a shovel through spring and summer. The women provided refreshments and the children straightened bent nails. The first service in the new church was held on August 15, the Feast Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the day that would define the parish's identity ever after. The parishioners then built a ten-room rectory, a gazebo, and landscaped the courtyard between the buildings.

The parish held its first services at the Cedar and Union Streets property while continuing to grow. By the mid-1970s the old St. Agnes Catholic School building used as the community center had become inadequate, and major renovations were completed in 1975 under Rev. James C. Christon, converting the first floor into a kitchen and social hall seating 300. In 1986, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the parish hosted a concert featuring Nana Mouskouri, held a Golden Jubilee Ball, and welcomed Archbishop Iakovos and Bishop Methodios for a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. That same anniversary spirit prompted a Five-Year-Plan Committee to recommend building an entirely new church complex.

The parish purchased 8.1 acres on Island Pond Road and broke ground in August of 1987. Financial realities slowed construction, and a temporary church was completed in August of 1989 to allow the community to move to its new site. Construction continued in stages, with the exterior and basement completed in 1995 and the full church interior completed in 1996. The Thyranixia, or Door Opening service, was held on August 14, 1996, officiated by Bishop Methodios, who called the completion of the complex a miracle. It coincided with the parish's 60th anniversary.

Today, the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church stands on eight acres at 111 Island Pond Road in Manchester, its Byzantine-style cruciform church adorned with pale blue walls, deep red carpet, Byzantine icons, and stained glass icons throughout. Since 1991 the parish has celebrated its August 15 Feast Day with an annual two-day festival on the church grounds, carrying forward a tradition of faith, community, and Hellenic heritage that its founders built against incredible odds.