History

Saint Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church of Arlington, Massachusetts was born from the practical concerns of a growing suburban community. As Greek Orthodox families settled in Arlington and the surrounding towns of Middlesex County through the mid-twentieth century, the frequent journey back to distant parishes in Cambridge and Boston, along with the challenge of transporting children to Greek language classes and special events, became increasingly burdensome. By the early 1960s a group of Orthodox residents had begun exploring the possibility of establishing a local parish to serve the Arlington area.

After much effort and fundraising, that vision became a reality on September 9, 1964, when the community succeeded in purchasing the former Universalist Church at 735 Massachusetts Avenue, an 1841 Greek Revival structure restyled in the Italianate manner in 1860 by the Reverend Thomas W. Silloway, a nationally recognized church architect. The building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, gave the parish one of the most architecturally distinguished homes of any Greek Orthodox community in New England. In 1984, Archbishop Iakovos presided over the formal consecration of the church, a milestone the parish marked with particular pride in 2024 at its sixtieth anniversary.

Over the following four decades the parish experienced remarkable growth of approximately 600 percent, eventually exceeding the physical capacity of the Massachusetts Avenue building. With no practical means of expanding the historic structure, the community faced a difficult decision, and when the former Saint James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church at 4 Appleton Street became available, the faithful of Saint Athanasius rose to the challenge. The final service at 735 Massachusetts Avenue was held on November 27, 2005, and the first service at the new Appleton Street home followed on December 3, 2005, opening a new chapter in the parish's life.

Saint Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church at 4 Appleton Street in Arlington serves the Orthodox Christian faithful of Middlesex County as a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.