History

Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania holds a deep and rich place in the history of Greek Orthodoxy in the Ohio Valley. The first Greek immigrants arrived in the Woodlawn section of Aliquippa at the turn of the twentieth century, drawn by the promise of work at the Jones and Laughlin Steel Mill. By 1912, a vibrant Greek community had taken root along Logstown and Superior Avenue in Plan 7, where passersby could catch a genuine taste of Greece on the streets of Aliquippa.

As the community grew, so did the need for a church of their own. The only option available at the time was to board a train and trolley to reach the Pittsburgh Greek church, a journey that was neither practical nor desirable for families putting in long days at the mill. In 1917, a group of Greek immigrants gathered at the Capiris Brothers' Theater on Franklin Avenue and formed a Board of Trustees with the intention of building a Greek church in Woodlawn. Their efforts bore fruit quickly. On August 15, 1918, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Father Constantine Liacopoulos celebrated the first Divine Liturgy. Three years of hard work followed, and in 1921 the temple on Kiehl Street was completed and the Greek Orthodox Church of Aliquippa was born.

Through the following decades the community flourished alongside the church, establishing Greek and Sunday schools, Philoptochos, youth organizations, and the programs that wove the parish into the fabric of Aliquippa's Greek neighborhood. By the 1950s the original thirty-year-old building had become inadequate for the growing congregation. In 1956 a lot was purchased on Davidson Street in the New Sheffield section of Aliquippa, and a building contract was awarded for a new church at a cost of $187,087. During the construction period, following Easter services, an unextinguished candle caused a fire that completely devastated the old wooden church. The community pressed forward, and the new church on Davidson Street opened a new era of hope and prosperity.

In June 1978 the parish launched its first Street Festival, a three-day event that quickly expanded to a full week and became one of the most beloved Greek cultural celebrations in western Pennsylvania, drawing thousands each year to enjoy Greek food, Hellenic dancing, church tours, and the spirit of a community that has never lost its love for its heritage. The church has celebrated its 50th annual festival, a milestone that reflects the enduring vitality of a parish now more than a century old.

Today, Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church stands in Aliquippa as a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, a community built by steelworkers and their families that continues to carry their faith and their culture forward for new generations.