Compiled from various parish histories, parish records, and newspaper articles by the Very Rev. Dr. David Hester

A little bit of history and so much more…

In 2004, our parish of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church proudly celebrated 100 years of dedicated worship, fellowship and service here in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. At that time, we shared a detailed history of the parish which was part of our Anniversary Book as well as a pictorial poster history of our parish community and the people who were such a vibrant part of that past which continues to fill our walls of history in the Church hall. These posters have provided hours of storytelling and sharing of multiple memories across many generations here at St. Mary’s. Our Parish web site (stmaryorthodox.com) contains a full history of our Parish.

Now it is 2014 and we are celebrating our 110th Anniversary as a parish community “Living Orthodoxy in Northeast PA for over 110 years.” Despite our aging population and the economics of Northeast PA, we are blessed to have welcomed several new families into our parish community over the past 10 years and also welcomed back several former members of St. Mary’s into our community. The hospitality of our parish members continues to invite others into the Church and we encourage others to use our church hall for events such as the large fund raiser on October 19th, 2013 for Syrian refugees sponsored by Dr. Khoudary and many others from the Maronite Parish of St. George/St. Anthony here in Wilkes- Barre. The success of this fund raiser was due in part to the close working relationship between our two parishes. Members of St. Mary’s helped to promote this endeavor which eventually led to a successful financial gift to the Jesuit Relief fund in Syria. But our story doesn’t end here.

In the past ten years, we completed the inner dome of the church (as seen on the front cover of this Anniversary book) with a rich array of hand-painted icons depicting the Pantocrator in the Center surrounded by 24 additional Icons representing the Church of the New Testament and the Church of the Old Testament. This was a two phase project. In 2005, funds were gradually collected as Memorials as well as for the good health of the parishioners in order to commission the painting of the Icon of Christ the Pantocrator. The Iconographer, Ivan Roumiansev from St. Petersburg, Russia but currently residing in South Canaan, PA at St. Tikhon’s, painted the Icon on two eight foot semi-circle panels of marine plywood which were later brought to St. Mary’s and unfolded and assembled in the Dome amidst scaffolding assisted by Joe Dotzel and the H.A. Smith Co. In 2011, phase two was begun. The Inner Center Dome was repaired and repainted blue to resemble heaven. The same Russian Iconographer painted 24 Icons on canvas, each over six feet tall. These Icons include that of the Mother of God, The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the twelve Apostles, eight Prophets of the Old Testament, and St. John the Baptist. Once completed, each Icon was afixed to the Dome surrounding the Pantocrator. Again, Joe Dotzel and the H. A. Smith Company installed all 24 Icons. Once completed, the interior of the Church was repaired and repainted in 2012. In addition, the outside Dome of the church was also repainted to resemble more of a gold appearance which now glistens in the sunny sky. This project was made possible through funding procured through Joe Dotzel from the local
Architect’s Association. In January, 2009, the worn red carpet in the Holy Place, the Sacristy and in the area in front of the Iconostasis was replaced with cream and mauve porcelain tile. In 2010, Catherine Allan and her family donated an exquisite Bishop’s Throne in honor of her late husband, Allan J. Allan. Bishop Thomas was the first to use it during his Annual Parish Visit in October, 2010.

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy in March, 2009, another momentous event took place at St. Mary’s. Bishop Tikhon, the OCA Bishop of Eastern Pennsylvania and Rector of St. Tikhon’s Seminary, celebrated the Divine Liturgy with Bishop Thomas. This was the first time an OCA Bishop celebrated any Liturgical Service in St. Mary’s. In the late afternoon, Bishop Thomas and Bishop Tikhon both celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy Service at Holy Resurrection OCA Cathedral on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.

In October, 2010, St. Mary’s was asked to host the Installation of Father Alexander Atty, an Antiochian priest, as the incoming Dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary in South Canaan, PA. Metropolitan Jonah, Bishop Tikhon, and Bishop Michael (all Hierarchs from the OCA) were in attendance together with many clergy, family and friends of both Father Alexander and St. Tikhon’s Seminary. The Ladies of St. Mary’s provided a reception and Middle Eastern dinner following the Installation of Father Alexander.

Beginning in 2002 through 2013, the Parish of St. Mary hosted a wide variety of Antiochian Seminarians who were studying at St. Tikhon’s Russian Orthodox Seminary in South Canaan, PA. Metropolitan Philip assigned these seminarians to various local parishes, including St. Mary’s, for pastoral training, chanting practice, and parish experience. Each Seminarian was given a modest stipend provided by the Parish to cover gas and other personal expenses. Numbers each year varied from one Seminarian to seven seminarians in a given year. Our Parish community shared real life hospitality to these fine young men and encouraged them on their journey to Priesthood.

On Sunday, September 12th, 2010 we celebrated Father David’s 10th year Anniversary as Pastor of St. Mary’s and his 20th Anniversary as an Orthodox priest in the Archdiocese. On August 1, 2014, Father David will have completed 14 years as Pastor of St. Mary’s. On Sunday, August 11th, 2013, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Deacon John Karam’s Ordination to the Diaconate which took place on July 4th, 1993. His service to St. Mary’s spanned almost 60 years beginning from his time as an Altar server. We are also proud of our Sub-deacons: Bill Obeid, Norm Namey, John Moses, Jr., and Ed Bell who faithfully serve each week with Father David and Deacon John especially during all the Lenten and Holy Week services.
Yes, we still have our weekly spaghetti dinners (which started in February, 1993) and while the number of patrons have dropped somewhat, we are now seeing new faces among the faithful who have been coming for many years. In the spring of 2013, St. Mary’s completed 20 years of holding its famous spaghetti dinners. A special bulletin board tribute was made to include the originators of the spaghetti dinner, all the past faithful workers who are no longer with us, together with those who helped in the past but are no longer able to work and of course, all the current workers who offer hours of service to make sure each spaghetti dinner is as good as the first. Some of our regular weekly workers are 90-98 years old! But this celebration wouldn’t have been complete without all the patrons who came each week. Pictures were taken of the individuals who have been coming, some for the past 20 years. Each picture on the bulletin board also told the approximate number of years that these patrons had been attending.

A bright spot in our parish community in 2012/2014 was the birth of five infants: Brody Moses (son of Josef and Jennifer Moses), Isaac Solomon (son of Christina and Bob Solomon), Matthew Nassar (son of Dr. Fawaz and Malak Nassar), Josephine Solomon (daughter of David and Nadalie Solomon ) and Sofia Ann Moses ( daughter of Josef and Jennifer Moses). In a parish with an aging population, the birth of these five infants brings a ray of hope that our parish will continue for many years to come.

For the past ten years, we continued to honor Veteran’s with a Sunday breakfast in November for not only our parish veterans but for other local Veteran organizations, especially the Italian American veterans which have been connected to St. Mary’s for many years. On Memorial Day, we hold services in the Parish cemetery with both religious and ceremonial commemorations. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are celebrated each May and June and our Parish picnic is held at the end of summer. Periodically, we also have a golf tournament in late summer or early fall. In December, the children and youth are visited by St. Nicholas and a special children’s sermon on the life of St. Nicholas is held. The Ladies of St. Mary hold their Christmas party in December as well, but in 2013, we opened this up to a parish Christmas social. Our Father Nahas Senior citizen group meets twice a month with special social events for Thanksgiving and Christmas and often a picnic in the summer. Bishop Thomas makes his Annual Parish visit to St. Mary’s in the fall.

To complete the personal history of St. Mary’s, we have asked those parishioners 80-100 years young to tell us their memories of significant events, special people, and meaningful reasons for continuing to be such vibrant and dedicated members of our Parish Community for all these years. These are their stories…in their own words.

From Father Herb Nahas: The following is the story of George Boulos, a Lebanese farmer who came to Wilkes-Barre in 1975 at the age of 65. In fact, he had been born in Wilkes-Barre in 1910 but had returned to his father’s homeland of Lebanon and stayed for sixty years, marrying and raising a large family. When he returned to Wilkes-Barre, he was anxious to acquire his citizenship status. Sadly, he had no official papers to prove he had been born here. To make matters worse, George could not speak English. In his dire straits, he came to me for help. On an appointed day, I accompanied George to Federal Court in Scranton to request citizenship. Although our case seemed hopeless, our only hope of success rested on an unlikely fact and truth. I simply asked the judge to listen as George Boulos spoke the only English words he knew. George stood at attention and with the hand motions familiar all, he recited the following: “Patty- Cake, Patty-Cake, Baker’s Man…Bake me a cake as fast as you can…(to the end).” As the judge roared in laughter in laughter, he awarded George his request. The judge realized that only an American-born child would know that iconic nursery rhyme. George lived his remaining years in our community, regularly attending church, and cherishing his status as an American citizen.

The following is a true story that began in November, 1942 in the city of Algiers. At that time, I was a young soldier from Pawtucket, Rhode Island serving as a French-Arabic interpreter. Our army had been fighting the Vichy-French for one week. A week later, as I spoke Arabic on the sidewalk, an American soldier approached me and introduced himself to me in pure Arabic. We were both 24 years old and could have been of one family. We chatted for five minutes and wished the best of luck to each other. We never met again until 9 years later. I was a young Orthodox priest sent to Wilkes-Barre, PA. I served my first Divine Liturgy on Sunday, November 1st, 1951. As the church members came forward to receive the altar bread, lo and behold, before me stood the soldier I had met in Algiers. His name was Jacob H. Malta whose family home was across the street from the church rectory. He remained so dear to my heart, and was one of the finest human beings I have ever known.

From Leo Solomon: All of my memories of St. Mary’s were very positive. My childhood was very connected to the church and its members. It starts with my parents (Samuel and Najoum ) who were very involved with the church. My father Samuel was one of the original charter members to incorporate the church on High Street. He was also a chanter for years until he had a heart attack. I understand that he was involved with the early beginnings of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Next was my brother O. J. Solomon. He was also very involved in the building of the new church and all church activities for years. He loved our church and even gave his personal reflections at our 100th Anniversary Banquet, much to the surprise of everyone! I also became a member of the Parish Council for many years and served as its President. I continue to be a long term member of our parish Choir. During the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes in 1972, our parish hall served as a shelter for many families displaced by the flood. Our parishioners took responsibility for their care by cooking meals and performing many tasks to make their stay as comfortable as possible. This lasted about two weeks. The best part of my affiliation with our church though was the people who I interacted with from this church over the years. I have nothing but positive feelings about all of the people I met with over the years. They helped shape my character, personality and values. My wife Margie worked on many projects with the Ladies of St. Mary.

From Catherine Allan: First, I would like to acknowledge the fact that Allan J. Allan was President of the Parish Council during the building of the new church (1968-1969-1970). Allan was one of the first members of the Order of St. Ignatius. I was a member of the Antiochian Women and the Advisor of Teen SOYO (1969-1974). We had many benefits (dinners, fashion shows, and Bingo) to cover the expenses of the teens for their trips to the conventions. Allan and I also volunteered at Bingo, the Bazaars, the Hafli’s and the dances held at the church. I am most proud of the donation of the beautiful Bishop’s Throne in memory of my husband, Allan J. Allan.

From Peggy and Eddie Malta: From a little girl until today ( I am now 84), St. Mary’s has been the center of my life. It has been happy times and sad times but the church is always there when I need it the most. The love I have for my church never dims. It shines bright in my darkest hours. It comforts me and lifts me up. That is because I know that is where my God dwells. It is my home where I meet all my extended family…my church family. The church choir keeps us together. Eddie and I were about 14 years of age when we each joined the choir and I still sing in the choir but Eddie had to quit about two years ago for health reasons. It was in the choir where Eddie and I met and we have been together for 66 years. We were married here and we raised our children here. They have had a good foundation and are bringing their children and grandchildren to love God and obey his rules. St. Mary’s will always live in them too. They have fond memories of St. Mary’s and are still connected to all of their childhood friends from church. I especially remember all of my children in the plays at Halloween and Christmas. There were many laughs watching them preform. I remember Aber Solomon, our choir director, and our trip to New York as a choir and where we stayed at the Waldorf. My mother, Marie Hawthorne Saba, made hoagies and pasties. My Grandmother, Mame Carney, who was Irish soon learned to speak fluent Arabic and my mother taught many of the ladies to make a variety of Middle Eastern pastries. Eddie took care of the books when he was on the Parish Council and at one point he was also the church custodia and sometimes was assisted by our son John. My daughter Patti always loved coming to church and to make it easier for her, a handicapped ramp was donated and installed by Jake Malta her uncle, the very same person who donated the beautiful bells at St. Mary’s which ring every Sunday and on special occasions. May St. Mary’s doors always be open and live in our hearts forever.

From George A. Morrash: We had a very active church. We had bazaars on our church grounds at least once a year. We had Hafli’s at various hotels in the city. The ladies made hoagies. I remember Mrs. George (Lorraine George’s mother) working with one hand. She had an injury in her other arm. The men and women would deliver the hoagies to various dress factories. There were many people in the city of Wilkes-Barre at that time. We took off from work to deliver them. We organized trips to various resorts in the Poconos. Our Sunday School was active. Some of the children went to the Antiochian Village. My brother, John Morrash, built the church rectory and when he needed a welder, my wife, Hal Morrash, told him she did welding during WWII like “Rosie the Riveter.” So she and another member of the church, Steve Barrouk, did some welding on the rectory floors.

From Phillip Malta: As a member of both the old and the new church, I remember attending church with my parents Habib and Bahia and later with my children every Sunday. I recall at the old St. Mary’s Church (on High Street) that the men and women were segregated. The women would sit on one side with their heads covered in a veil or a hat. The men sat on the other side dressed in a suit. I remember how hard the faithful of the church worked to raise money to build the new church on South Main street. They would work together as a well-organized team. They made and sold delicious pasties and hoagies weekly, long before starting the weekly spaghetti dinners. These spaghetti dinners continue today with people coming from all over to enjoy the variety of pastas and sauces. The parish also held special Mid-East dinners together with bazaars, bingo, and hafli’s. My personal contribution to the church (besides being a regular paying member) were in the original church. I volunteered to be the church janitor. This required me to take care of the coal burning furnace, clean the church, set up for Sunday School and the special events which included at this time the many viewings of the deceased members which were held in the church basement. I joined our well known choir under the capable supervision of Professor Michael Dzury, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. I also helped at the local block parties and bazaars. Last but not least, I joined a hardworking team of men and women in preparation of the popular spaghetti dinner, under the supervision of Jim Cardillo, a master chef. In conclusion, I hope the future generation will be faithful and hard working as the past and present in keeping St. Mary’s church on the map.

From Joe Morrash : I thank God each and every day for the love I shared with my beautiful wife Connie, and I am grateful for continued good health and the health and safety of my entire family. Our church and our church family have greatly contributed to my determination at being a good husband, a good father and grandfather, a good son, a good brother, and a good Christian. What else can a man ask for? I am truly blessed. I have such great memories of growing with my family and St. Mary’s Church, which was and continues to be a part of my family. My father Anthony Morrash and his generation built the original church and my generation, and our children together, built the church we now live in. My sons Joe and Tony served later as altar servers. My wife Connie always helped with the bazaars and also delivered hoagies made by the women.

I remember the bazaars on McCarragher Street every summer. All the members of the church would close off the bottom of the street and build wooden booths. I especially remember my brother John and all the different work crews – setting up the stands, the games, and the food tent. The Arabic food was unbelievable, with all the women of the church cooking and working hard. I remember working the Big 6 game, or serving in the food tent. It seemed like all of Wilkes-Barre came to our Bazaar. I also have great memories of midnight liturgy at Christmas and Easter, with hugs and ”busses” for all our families and friends in the church, and all the kids walking around the church with candles on Palm Sunday. After midnight liturgy on Easter, we used to click our eggs against each other in the church lobby to see whose egg would crack first. The kids used to love that. It was like a competition we looked forward to every year.

That was and is the beauty of our church for the most part, especially in the beginning and for much of my lifetime. The church was literally our extended family. We were all related somehow; we were all truly brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and cousins. It was the center for learning religious, family and community values. It provided a means to help us teach our children about a strong work ethic, honesty and integrity. We have all been truly blessed and I am eternally grateful.

From Lorraine George: I am 98 years old and currently the oldest in the parish. I come because I can’t think of living without church. I love the people and the very atmosphere of our church. It helps me “be content with living.” I still remember our choir director and Sunday School director, Mr. Thomas. A few times, I remember skipping choir practice to ride around the city with Mary Mamary who was the only one with a car. I have been singing in the choir since I was in Sunday School (maybe age 14/15) and I continue to sing after all these years. In the old church on High Street, we didn’t have enough chairs for all the children for Sunday School, so we walked to a nearby elementary school and asked for enough chairs for every child, especially the ones in kindergarten. Church and going to church and doing things at church have given me a lot of years to live. I was the only girl in the choir at first and then I worked to get other girls to join. Some are still singing in the choir today. I am also reminded of the time when I use to help my mother (Mrs. Badeau George) come home from church. After school, I would leave my books on the table and run to the church to pick up my mom but instead of getting my mom, three women (Mrs. Davis, Sophie Cross, and Mrs. Saba) would ask me to work for the church. Because of these three women, I felt joy in my heart to go and help at the church. Church has fulfilled me and I have enjoyed going to church ever since.

From Jennie Elias: Church is fantastic. I have no complaints. I was in the choir for many years beginning as a teenager and I still sing in the choir at this time. I loved all the priests – they were good to me, coming each year and blessing my home and asking how I was doing. I love the people. I always participated by helping whenever I could and I still help out each week of the spaghetti dinners. I have been helping since our church was on High Street – where I lived just two doors away. I was the oldest of seven children and I had to quit school to help out at home.

From Tom Yuhas: I find the church to be comforting. I especially remember all the bus trips we took as a choir participating in regional choir competitions in the Archdiocese. We had amateur nights at the Dodson School and various plays as a parish. I remember Mr. Dzury, a Russian who directed our choir at one time. We even went as a choir group to Brooklyn to enjoy that parish’s hafli. The days of weekly Bingo (70’s) also brings back many memories. Bob Amory called the numbers for the Bingo games and I can still see Mal Gazey with a table filled with bingo cards. Kids would sell the bingo cards while Ruth Druby and Lorraine George sold instant bingo outside the hall on bingo nights. Since Sarah Cross worked in a bank, she took care of the financial books and Leo Solomon collected and wrapped money. My only complaint was the smoke since smoking was permitted in the hall at that time. My one memory of the bazaars is seeing Jimmy Cardillo and his sausage and pepper stand. Before the church hall, we made hoagies at Peter’s Ice Cream Store. St. Mary’s also had their own baseball team about 1955-1956. They played at a lighted field which is now the site of Dan Flood School. Some of the players were Junior, Jack and Eddie Audie, Zack and Jimmy Moses, Jack Broody and myself, Tom Yuhas.

From Rose Yuhas: “It’s the people!” I have two families: my own family and my church family where I have so many friends. I remember all the fun we had on choir bus trips and all the hafli’s over the years including our trip to Brooklyn for their parish hafli. We traveled as a group from St. Mary’s for choir competitions. I remember having choir practice every week and still hearing “You better be there!” from the choir director Aber Solomon. I spent almost 16 years singing in the choir. Our hafli’s were often held in the Host Hotel and the Reddington Hotel (currently Genetti’s). We held breakfasts for the Sunday School and our bazaars were a week long where everyone chipped in to help. Making pasties and hoagies while in the old church served as a fund raiser for the new church on South Main street.

From Joe Obeid: Memory is a good thing especially in old age. We can ruminate on the past and bring it to the forefront, sometimes precise and clear and other times faded. With the church being to a large extent the focus of living, there exists a store of richness. I remember playing on the floor between the first pew and the iconostasis while my father Abraham Obeid was busy in the sanctuary. I must have been about 4 years old. The women at that time of my age sat on one side of the church with head covered and the men on the right side of the church facing the altar. The chanters were seated or standing on each side about 2 or 3 feet above the seated congregation. Leo Solomon’s father, Samuel Solomon, appears to be the foremost of the chanters.

I vaguely recall some digging done under the church, apparently for a kitchen, stage and meeting room. In my later years, I learned that the church had been raised by the Shiber family, who were house movers. This apparently allowed for a finished basement. At one time I observed ladies making baklava for sale. The trays were very large and between each sheet of filo dough butter was “painted” using a very large feather saturated with melted butter. One hundred or more trays were made.
We went on church picnics with delight. Open body trucks in front of the church were loaded with the necessities for the picnic. We joyfully endured the open air ride. Gracedale Park, Mountain Top, and Wesneski’s Grove, Dallas, were two of the destinations. Picnics were well attended. Plays were performed on the small stage with all the authenticity of the culture and I believed these endured until the early 1930’s. Minstrel shows appeared in the early depression years. I remember Joseph (O.J.) Solomon making us all laugh in one of the skits.

There was an effort to teach us the Arabic language. So eventually we children went to “Syrian school.” After public school, we had classes in the church auditorium under the church. I can’t say we learned much. On looking back, the instructor appeared not to be a good disciplinarian. It was common to be sent outside to find a stick or slat for punishment. The bearer would receive his due. I’m sure I was one of them. For reasons unknown to me, the school did not appear to last very long.

In the 1930’s, there appeared some fractionalization within the congregation. This seemed to disappear after World War II. Father George Mitchell (Regina Sekol’s grandfather), Father Sakey and Father Nicholas Husson honored us during this period. An organization named “El Husson” (named after an area in Syria) appeared in memory at this time after World War II. I can’t say when the club was formed. They did own a large building on a lot adjacent to Bob Amory’s barber shop. They also had acquired land for a cemetery adjacent to the church cemetery. I believe the first grave opened in this cemetery was April, 1940. In the sixties, the “El Husson” society and officers agreed on the one side to give up its property and on the other side to accept under certain conditions. It appears that the “El Husson” society ceased to exist and the cemeteries became unified.

Father Herbert Nahas came to us in October, 1951. The Maronites had built a hall on Stanton Street about 1950-1955. This may have been an impetus for a suggestion to be made at a meeting of our church officials for our own expansion. Eventually a meeting was held by our congregation to seek pledges for this. Bishop Bashir was here about March,1959 offering encouragement and his blessing. Pledges for new construction were made. The first pledge was for $5.00 and made for a newborn grandson, Herbert Williams, by his grandfather Charles Williams. The baby was named after Father Herb. About ten years later, the fruits of this labor was a church, hall, and rectory. There was a building committee. Architects Eyerman and Riggi and Riggi were interviewed and the latter company was selected. Tabone and Barbers were the contractors for the church and hall. John Morrash was contracted to build the rectory. The present location of St. Mary’s was selected over two others (the present parking lot of Westminster Church and the corner of Park Ave. and South Street.)

Hafli’s were common in the 40’s and 50’s, very well attended and many at the Redington Hotel and they became less common in later years. Pasties were made and sold as a fund raiser for the new church, and bingo stared in the new church but later terminated in the mid-70’s by Metropolitan Philip. I would also like to say that Joseph (O.J.) Solomon was secretary of the Parish Council for many years and kept excellent and thorough minutes. Two adult persons I recall active with the children of the church were Martha Azain Moses and Lorraine Azain but in what capacity, I am not aware, probably as teachers. I believe all services were conducted in Arabic and with minimum translation to partial English slightly prior to Father Nahas’ time at St. Mary’s.

From Tony Peters: My memories of the church were from the 50’s to the 70’s time period. I chaired many fund raisers and banquets during that time. It was also the time of transition to the new church. I worked with Zeke Abraham, O.J. Solomon, John Morrash, my father Albert Peters, and many others who struggled to make the new church a reality. I have good thoughts about the many who gave so much so the church would grow. They were good times because we enjoyed the friendships we made. Bob Amory ran the weekly bingo while I worked in the office during the Bingo. I was Chair of Social Activities and therefore, responsible for all the Communion Breakfasts (men only at the time) and all the Hafli’s.

From Olga Higgins: “Howa,” my mother, was one of the finest cooks in our small close knit Syrian/Lebanese Church. She was so well known for her Kibbee Nyee. I remember a time the ladies in the church kitchen were cooking for an affair and no one was making the kibbee. My mother wasn’t there but they came for her because they wouldn’t let anyone else make it. One time, at one of our bazaars (a time when my mother wasn’t too active anymore) she and I came as patrons. We had just sat down at a table when we saw Sarah Cross approaching (from the kitchen) with a dish in her hands. She came straight to my mother and set a plate with kibbee nyee (shaped like a football) in front of her and said, “We want you to taste this, Howa, and let us know if it is okay.” The ladies of the church had so much respect for her and she for them. Once while she still helped out in the kitchen, Pauline Abraham said to my mother, “ Please, Howa, make that Syrian cake I heard so much about.” You see, every time the ladies cooked, they would end up sitting down and having coffee and something to eat. My mother decided at one of their food making sessions to bake the ladies a cake that she concocted herself and which she made often for us at home because we would beg her to make it. I can taste it now even after all these years. The ladies had asked her to tell them how it was made and she couldn’t, except to say she just used her imagination which brings me to a time similar to that episode which occurred at our home. It was a holiday and my three sisters had come home to visit which didn’t happen often. I could still see the four of us sitting around Mom’s kitchen table and Mom cooking at the stove. All of a sudden I said, “Mom, I’m going to get a tablet and pencil and you’re going to give me the recipes of all the dishes you cooked for us when we were growing up.” Of course, she said she used her hands for measuring. Well, I got up and brought a measuring cup, spoon, flour, sugar, butter and anything else I could think of. I would mention the dish and she would use her hands. She would put the amount in her hand (for instance flour) and dump it in the measuring cup and this went on for hours while I got my recipes, messed up the kitchen, and all of us were laughing hysterically! I follow and make those dishes today, every day, and forever.

I have another anecdote to tell, another laughing hysterically one. A few years ago, Lorraine George and I were visiting. We started talking about our mothers. Lorraine said our mothers and Sophie Cross use to visit a lot. One day, Lorraine walked in on them and they (her mother and my mother) were holding cigarettes and smoking. They were laughing so hard that they had tears running down all over their faces and Lorraine joined in with the laughter. Once, a very long time ago, I ran into Johanna Habib who praised my mother to me and also some of the foods she learned to make because of her.

Then I remember the years she spent praying over a glass of water and with the faith in God that she had, it became holy water. I was too young to remember when neighbors and friends began coming to the house to try to get well from some kind of pain or sickness. The only thing my mother and I discussed about it was , that a priest in her hometown in Lebanon taught her special healing prayers and showed her what to do. I use to think it was funny, until I was in my teens and realized it was your faith in God that made you believe that God could make you well, that He could do anything. It was a beautiful thing, people whom we didn’t know coming to her for Holy water and I became so proud of her. People needed her and she was my mother. She was “Howa!”

These are only some of the beautiful memories I have of her, and I shall take them to the grave with me, and before I go any further, we must pay honor to all of the women Howa worked with because they all worked for the church from the bottom of their hearts. On another note, she will always be remembered by the many young girls who years ago, came to the house to have their ears pierced.

In addition, I remember our little church on High Street before our present beautiful church was built. I’m going back about seventy years, perhaps more. The most vivid memory was a night of eating, music and fun for the parents. We children weren’t invited but I snuck in and there was my mother Howa singing one of her Lebanese songs that they went crazy for. The memories of her singing have almost faded. She had a wonderful voice. We, her children, were so small and didn’t hear her sing much except at bazaars and for the adults that visited us. They would beg her to sing for them and she would. Back to the night of the bazaar…they had small tables and chairs set up in the church hall. My mother started singing and when she reached that soulful part of the song (it gave you goose bumps), the audience was yelling joyfully and a gun shot rang out! It was Si Saba (James Saba’s father). He loved my mother’s voice and he loved his Lebanese music more. He was probably overcome by it. As she got older, she stopped singing, her voice had changed and the memories faded.

Another memory from our little church on High Street was the time a Bishop visited. Well, his high black hat with the long veil, had gotten torn and guess where Father Mitchell (our Pastor at the time) brought it to be repaired? Howa repaired it like new. What I missed for years was the original Baklava that was made by the women of the church when filo dough wasn’t even in existence. It was a holiday and the women were going to make so many trays to raise funds for the church. It was a sight to behold. They made it from bread dough and rolled it out and tossed it in the air like a pizza maker does today. They made as many layers as they do today with the filo dough. If you walked in to the church hall where it was being made, you would see about ten women tossing these rounds of dough into the air until they were as thin as filo. Imagine how many layers they had to make per tray! The taste was unbeatable but a lot of work. I guess filo was a blessing. Those women were our mothers and grandmothers. They are all gone but never forgotten. They were the Pillars of the church. May they rest in peace. God bless all those women, past and present for all their hard work and good deeds.

My mother Howa’s beloved husband, Abe, had quite a roll in the music part of the church. He was the only musician who played an instrument at all the weddings to which he was invited and at all the hafli’s at that time. I’m going back about 80 years ago. I was only a child when I remember watching him tune up and practice his “zamida.” It looks like a flute and very hard to blow into. His cheeks would go out like balloons and he would blow on it for hours, while the people danced. I remember Bob Amory wanting to learn how to play it, so he would come to the house and my father gave him a few lessons, but I think it was extremely hard to learn, so Bobby gave up. I wonder if there’s a hand full of people in our church who remember. Beside’s playing his “zamida,” he was very active in our church. Incidentally, he brought the “zamida” with him from Lebanon and it now sits in my house with all the memories.

From Jerry Taroli: Both of my sons served as altar boys from the mid 70’s to the early 80’s. I recall my son Christopher attended several seminars at the Antiochian Village for a week when he was 12 or 13 years old. What I miss the most at this time is the lack of camaraderie among the parishioners. These were the hafli’s, the gala affairs which drew people from far away places and seeing relatives and friends conversing, dancing and over stuffing themselves on Arabic food and pastries. Men contributed their time and effort to formulate plans for the erection of the new church: Tony Habib, Al Peters, Zeke Abraham, Abe Solomon and of course, Father Nahas, not only our Pastor, but also our philosophical scholar. After Father Nahas retired, there emerged what I call controlled chaos – who was going to replace Father Nahas? First came Father Hughes for 3 years. Next came Father Shahady followed by Father Tom Zain, in my opinion, the most likeable and friendliest and currently serving, I believe in Brooklyn. Lastly, Father John Winfrey arrived and finally, stabilization within the church with the arrival of Father Hester.

From Ruth Chrzanowski (in loving memory): The fondest memories I have are working with the Ladies Auxiliary at the old church. We all worked hard at the bazaars, bake sales, and hoagie sales to raise the money for the new church. Father Herb was right there with us making the hoagies and then delivering them himself to the companies that ordered. There was a joy while we worked. The ladies sang, “We’re going to get a new church.” My husband Chet gave all of his time to the Boy Scouts and working at every church function. He (together with his faithful young helper David Roushey) was the maintenance supervisor of the church for many years until his health prevented him from continuing. Chet was a great baker, even teaching baking. In his memory, our family donated a new Convection oven to the church kitchen. We all worked to make our new church a reality. (Ruth was also the President of the Ladies when pasties were first being made.)

From Bob and Judy Amory: As a member of St. Mary’s, I was asked to write the memories I had about our church. I could probably write a book, but I will try to make it short and heartwarming. Like most young boys in the church, I was enrolled in Sunday School, became an altar boy, and eventually joined the choir, which I loved. Becoming involved as an adult began approximately in 1967. I was 28 years old and elected to the Board of Trustees. The Board began discussing the possibility of building a new church and at a new location. The elders of the parish didn’t want to move from High Street because a number of families were able to walk to church, but our church was old and in need of repairs. A new location had to be found.

There were many and I mean many parishioners responsible for where we are today. There was one gentleman in particular who spearheaded the talks at our meetings. He was a big influence in getting votes to build a new church, but it did not come without much controversy, arguments and pounding of tables. A meeting was then called to try to get those votes needed to build a new church. There were about 50 men and women in attendance. The votes were in and the okay was given to begin the process to build. The first step necessary, of course, was the financial obligation. Those who attended this meeting were then asked to make a monetary pledge. They responded and thousands of dollars were pledged.

The gentleman I spoke of earlier who was very influential in this project of building our beautiful new church was Isaac (Zeke) Abraham. He along with Allan J. Allan were strong supporters, not only with their leadership, but also with their financial backing. This began the foundation of our new church.

A building fund committee was then appointed and Zeke was made Chairman. John Morrash was also on the committee. It was his knowledge and time that he took on the “gratis” job of overseeing the different contractors who worked on the site. O. J. Solomon also played a big part by taking on the responsibility of keeping accurate reports of what transpired at all meetings both vocally and financially. There was a lot of work that needed to be completed that wasn’t under contract, and was taken upon by many parishioners. They volunteered their services for many months by showing up every weekend to paint and finish off the woodwork that needed to be installed in the church, hall, and other areas. This project was also overseen by John Morrash. Allan Allan donated red ash for the parking lots and Lee Namey was able to procure concrete rock which was made into the gravel for the parking lots. Every Sunday, a family in the parish was asked to cook a meal for the men. The wonderful food was an incentive to keep those volunteers coming. The fellowship that the men shared was second to none.

Then came the time for our financial obligations. The church sponsored a bingo game once a week and every week for nine years. However, when Hurricane Agnes hit the Wilkes-Barre area in 1972 many bingo establishments were lost. So St. Mary’s began having bingo twice a week. I was the Manager of the bingo games after being trained for three months by the boss of Helen Cross Wright who knew how to run bingo games. Twenty other men and women worked hard, “some gratis” and some were compensated, to help raise money to pay off the mortgage. It was a successful venture and over $500,000 went to the mortgage. The Ladies Society did their share by raising over $30,000 and putting it toward the mortgage and air conditioning which we couldn’t afford at the time. Upon completion, we now had a beautiful church and a hall that was used for many happy affairs. My best memories were after I formed our Middle Eastern Band which consisted of my cousin and best friend, Sam (Hot Dog) Moses, John Kerlish, Bill Kuklevich and my sons Bob and Dave. We played at Valentine dances, Fall dances, Syrian nights and many other affairs. We would always end our nights with one song, “Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end,“ (but they did.)

Minstrel shows were also held at the Dodson School. Rosemary Saba was Chair and often brought in outsiders to take the part of “Side Men.” These were the “black-face” men who entertained between acts. Later Tom Yuhas and myself became the “Side Men.” Our local parish talent, often the younger members of the church, performed the minstrel acts. We also held Las Vegas nights with donated chips and gifts that winners bid on. A memorable memory from the early 70’s was the first Ball honoring all the Past Presidents. Senior SOYO members escorted in each Past President. A big band provided entertainment.

I would be amiss if I did not include the role my wife Judy played in all this history. She and Ruth Chrzanowski together with Father Herb were in charge of the hoagie project. Judy also chaired sales of Baklava at the time when the dough was made by hand. Many other great women helped and from these women, she learned how to cook Middle Eastern food and pastry. Judy recalls the women gathering to make the kibbee for the bazaar. Of course, each woman had her own idea of the recipe for making the best kibbee and laughing quite a bit, Judy finally convinced the women that they could use their own recipe at home but here, we had to have a common recipe. This is when Hal Morrash measured out all the “hands” of spices and established a standard recipe for making the kibbee. Our whole family (Judy, my two sons and myself) often prepared the Baby Bingo packs at home to save time before the bingo. Baby Bingo packs were sold prior to the bingo games for extra income.

I loved working for my church. It took a lot of time and energy, but God always gave me the strength to move on. I thank all the people that were there for me when I needed them. The love for my church will be forever in my heart

From Dan and Marion Norman: Both of us have similar feelings about St. Mary’s Church services. Sunday is meant for attendance and escape from daily events, worldwide problems, etc. As mentioned in the church bulletin, church is one of the last social institutions where we experience dignity, protocol and reverence together with our parishioners who we enjoy seeing and visiting. Father David’s services along with the choir are uplifting and help to lessen the loss of so many fine members during our 21 years as members. We have lost many special people. Dan places O. J. Solomon at the top of the list. O.J. Solomon sponsored Dan as a member of St. Ignatius. His high character and ethics were his traits along with many other fine qualities.

Marion particularly enjoyed many new friends and best of all became involved with the Ladies Organization serving as Vice-President for 7 years and Treasurer for 11 years. Many years have passed since we have had a Hafli and Arabic music and dancing in our church hall. We enjoyed them and they will always be remembered. Our founding members, of which there are many, had great insight in adding our wonderful church hall when they built the church.

Dan has a family history of connections with St. Mary’s Church. Many years ago his two uncles were priests of the church. Father Michael Saba was the first assigned priest at St. Mary’s, who after 3 or 4 years at St. Mary’s moved to Johnstown, PA and founded the parish there. Father Daniel George, while still a layman, was one of the signers of the Articles of Incorporation of St. Mary’s. Later, he was ordained an Orthodox priest by the Bishop who was trying to get the Arab community to leave the Russian Orthodox Church and come under the Patriarch of Antioch. To further this effort, Father Daniel organized an alternative church of St. Mary’s on Blackman Street which eventually came under the leadership of Bishop Victor of New York. This parish eventually closed in 1925 when Father Daniel moved out of the area. He also founded St. Michael’s Church in Geneva, NY in 1912 when traveling between St. Mary’s and St. Michael’s. Dan’s parents, Michael and Hazle Norman, were married in our church before moving to Geneva, NY. Marion’s mother, Adele George, was an active member of the Ladies Organization. She liked to come and help the ladies prepare the food for many of their dinners. She was a whiz at making kibbee and grape leaves. She had a unique way of making grape leaves. She would put a grape leaf in her left hand at the thumb and first finger. She then put the meat and rice on the leaf and closed it with her right hand. Then she would hold it between two fingers on her left hand until she had about 4 or 5 of them before setting them down. She was always a good Arabic cook and loved entertaining people.

From Mary Mamary: When I was a little girl, I remember I went with my Sittu, Helen Namey Elias, from one home to the other to collect $.25 dues for the ladies auxiliary. I don’t know if the dues collected were for a month or a year. I enjoyed the choir since the early 1940’s under the direction of Mr. Michael Dzury and I’m still in the choir. Father Michael Simon was a member and when he became a priest the choir went by bus to Patterson, NJ for his first service. In the summer, we had picnics at Aber and Christine Solomon’s summer home in Mountain Top. We had a lot of fun.

In the early 1950’s we had an organization called SOYO. We had semi-formal dances in the fall and dances in the church hall and we used records for music. Then we would walk to Hanley’s Diner which was on the corner of South Main and Dana Streets for something to eat. We had wiener roasts on Saturday night at a grove and played table games and told stories. We traveled to different churches in our diocese to promote S.O.Y.O. We would put on amateur shows and they do the same when they came to our church. We had a lot of members in S.O.Y.O. and choir, of course, we had larger families. We spent many nights at the church as this was our life. I was also a Sunday School teacher and I am a member of the Ladies Auxiliary.

Isaac (Zeke) Abraham was the first Eastern Region president of S.O.Y.O in 1951 and Andrew Mamary was St. Mary’s Church President of S.O.Y.O.

From John Neddoff: The first priest I remember was Father Mitchell (1933 – 1940), who was the grandfather of Regina Sekol. Father Mitchell was in Niagara Falls at the time and spoke good English.. the reason to have him assigned to St. Mary’s. He loved baseball and would talk to the young people about it. From the beginning, the corner stone and name of our church was St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church. Men sat inside on the right and women sat on the left. The tradition changed when one woman decided to go and sit with her husband and everyone else followed. The name of the church changed to St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in the early 1970’s. I was a member of the junior choir and Dan Sallitt, son of Casper Sallitt, was the choir director for the group.

I was also an altar boy when the priest was Father Sakey (1940 – 1945). One Sunday I came into the altar late. Father said something to me in Arabic and I didn’t understand him. I could tell that he was upset. He then told Mikey George to relay a message to me that they wouldn’t need me in the altar anymore. Later on, when I was about 22 and finished my accounting degree, I was elected to be the Treasurer of the church. Every election thereafter I always got the highest votes for the job and was Treasurer for about 50 years. I could come late for the church meetings and no one would ever tell me that I wasn’t needed anymore. I used to tell the priest I would have to die in order to lose my position as Treasurer since I was in the job for so long.

From Bertie Molnar: First, I want to tell you about my sister Violet Hyder Cardillo. She was a member of the choir from age 16 through age 88, a Sunday School Teacher, and a member of S.O.Y.O. She was Past President of the Ladies Auxiliary and a faithful spaghetti worker. She never missed church and was one of the faithful members who always attended Vespers on Saturday night. You would also find her working hard at all of the bazaars. Next I want to tell you about my brother-in-law Jimmy Cardillo, wife of my sister Violet. He started the church bazaar on McCarragher Street and also started the weekly Spaghetti dinners at St. Mary’s in 1993. He was a chef retired from Woodloch in the Pines Resort at the time and developed the menu which we still use twenty years later. He was a member of St. Ignatius and served on the Board of Trustees for many years. He was Past President of the Board and served on various hafli committees. Jimmy also cooked for the homeless in the church hall when St. Mary’s took their turn caring for the homeless men of Wilkes-Barre.

I joined the junior choir under Miss Thomas and later the senior choir under Mr. Dzury from age 13 to the present. I am now 85 years of age. I was a member of Sunday school and later became a teacher in the Sunday School Program. I am also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary. I have been working at the spaghetti dinner for the past 17 of the 20 years it has existed and I always worked at the bazaars. I helped sew vestments and scarves at St. Mary’s and helped with Sunday School plays. I attended many hafli’s and went to the Antiochian Village with Violet and Jim for a weekend in September to honor St. Thecla.

From Subdeacon William Obeid: When I was 4 years old, in 1936, my sister Miriam Obeid and next door neighbor Ruth Morrash (Chryzanowski) would take me to church every Sunday morning. When we arrived, I was taken to an area on the lower level of the church (on High Street) which had many tables and chairs in rows, each row separated by a curtain. I was seated in a chair where a Sunday School teacher was standing nearby. At some time during the class, our Priest, Father George Mitchell, would arrive and we would all stand while he incensed us and spoke to us about our lesson for the day. I don’t remember the lessons, but I know I was enamored by our Priest, our teacher, and the smell of incense, which became frozen in my mind. I can substantiate this date because my mother (Jennie Solomon Obeid) told me that I had started Sunday School in 1935 and we moved away from High Street in August, 1936. Therefore, my memory of Sunday school occurred in 1936. After moving, I had always lived with a picture of my Sunday School teacher in mind. When I was 16 years old, I began to walk to church from our house on Richmond Avenue, behind Meyers High School, about ten or twelve blocks. I longed to see the teacher of my youth, but it took me about another sixteen years before that was to happen. Many years later, I saw her in church and I remembered her name, Lillian Saba. I could not believe it was her. I longed to speak to her, but I froze that day. A few weeks later she was in church and I was determined to approach her. I introduced myself. She indeed was my long lost teacher who I had hoped to meet. She told me she had married and moved to New Jersey. She introduced me to her husband. We spoke for a while and thereafter, I was happy to see her many more times throughout the following years.

I also have a memory of sitting in church on a very, very hot summer day. The heat became almost unbearable, so I took off my tie and suit coat. Shortly thereafter, I was knobbed on the back of my head. When I looked around, Mr. Jabra Habib told me to put on my jacket, “You are in church!” Lesson learned!

I was active in S.O.Y.O. from that time and attended many conferences and meetings throughout the Eastern Region of the Archdiocese during the 1950’s where we made many friends. St. Mary SOYO held a social in the church hall for the 1956 New Year’s Eve. There was a small group enjoying good food and fellowship. Helena Coury had a visitor with her and introduced me to Leona Stebnitsky, who three months later became my beloved wife.

I was elected to the church Council in 1957 and was present in 1958 at the church meeting with His Eminence Bishop Anthony Bashir who presided over the meeting to discuss our desire to build a new church. In 1969, I was re-elected to the church Council and was elected treasurer of the bingo committee. In 1974, I started to serve in the altar with Father Herb. In 1976, I volunteered to chair the operations of the cemetery along with my brother Joseph Obeid. We held this responsibility until the end of 2010. In 1979, Father Herb taught chanting to Jim Saba and me. In the summer of 1981, I served six weeks sat the Antiochian Village as assistant cook to Father John Namie, and in1982, I served four additional weeks. In 1983, I joined the Order of St. Ignatius. In 1986, St. Mary’s began to take in the homeless for two weeks each year under the guidance of “Vision.” At the beginning, both men and women were received. Some men of the church fed them breakfast. Because they were not allowed to remain in the church (they were expected to go and find jobs during the day), the church eventually organized the committees and each group began to feed them dinner on a designated night.. In 1987 I was appointed Chair of the Eastern Region Order of St. Ignatius and I held that position for four years. On July 4th, 1993, His Grace Bishop Antoun blessed me as a Sub-deacon and I continue to serve as Sub-deacon each week. While at a St. Ignatius meeting at St.George in Houston, Texas, we were served a very tasty spaghetti dinner. At the next Council meeting, I made a motion to begin serving spaghetti dinners at St. Mary’s. The motion passed and Jim Cardillo and I formulated a plan to begin weekly spaghetti dinners offering a wide variety of sauces and pasta. We completed 20 years in June, 2013 and we continue to offer these dinners 40 weeks of the year.

From Irene (Solomon) Jachimiak: My participation in church events at St. Mary’s spanned many years. I was a Sunday School teacher under Susan and Michael Broody and Charles Leo…all showed great leadership. I spent 11 years in the choir under the direction of Mr Dzury, our choir master. I had the honor of being a Senior S.O.Y.O. queen and always an active member. The Junior S.O.Y.O. was first under the leadership of Helen Elias (God bless her soul) and I from its very beginning for many years. This was a wonderful experience for both the leaders and for the young people who participated. Our parish of St. Mary’s also took part in the Nativity display on the square of Wilkes-Barre in the mid-fifties. I remember sitting by the manger as Mother Mary and with many of the men in the parish (Mickey Habib, John Charles and his brother) as shepherds or other members of the cast. We took part for many years. John Gazy was a shepherd in 1956 and Sabre Habib in 1954/1955. We held different events around the city including the Jewish Community Center. We rented the Dodson School where our parishioners put on a show and had two great comedians: Tom Yuhas and Bob Amory. We even had a professional director, Nancy Dugan. We had dancers, singers, and novelty acts all from our parish. I served tables at Hafli’s as well.

From George Leo: I am 97 years old and currently the oldest man in the parish. The old church on High Street had a full and active congregation. There were lots of kids in Sunday School. Activities such as the Hafli’s were well supported and attended, as were the hoagie sales. I remember picking up tomatoes donated by the Thomas Family, a local Maronite family for the hoagie sales. I also helped deliver hoagies with Father Herb. Memorable people include Mrs. Badeau George, Albert Peters and Aber Solomon, all of whom were hardworking, dedicated and generous people. Father Hussin (1945- 1951) celebrated the marriage of my wife Sadie and myself in 1947 and he baptized my sons Michael and Charles. The Epistles were read in both Arabic and English. We had chanters such as Mr. Habib, Mr. Joe Charles and Mr. Tony Garrah. Lorraine George, a long and close friend of my wife, was in the choir since the 1950’s. The death of Elias Ferris, my father-in-law, was the first funeral performed in this new church. The wedding of my niece Barbara Leo and her husband Father Bassoline was the first wedding preformed in the new Church. My wife Sadie was an active worker at the weekly bingo and she helped with all the hoagie sales. I remember how she came home after bingo with all the smoke still in her clothes. My son Charles went to Sunday School and there were a lot of children at that time. He later became Sunday School Superintendent back in the 1970’s. He was also an altar boy and worked at the bazaars too. He remembers the choir being on the same floor of the congregation but in the back and he still remembers the large chandelier and the smaller ones which hung in the old church. We had church picnics at Harvey’s Lake. There was a dance hall there and even horses to ride. We always had a lot of fun. When my wife Sadie was dying in 1997, I can still picture Chris Taroli and other SOYO members coming to visit her.

From Sylvia Morrash: During my life, many of my fondest memories have been centered around St. Mary’s and my family in the church. From singing in the choir, to cooking meals for the congregation, to preparing the hall for all of the church’s events, and of course, I will never forget the annual bazaar’s and weekly spaghetti dinners. My children and grandchildren will never let me forget the Arabic dancing at the Hafli’s in my younger days. The memories of those nights will be forever etched in my mind, and I’m sure in the memory of many other church members. I have profound memories of helping my departed husband, John, and the other men during the long days when they were building the church rectory and church hall. The love and memories that John and I have, and had, for St. Mary’s will forever be in our hearts. As I continue to live the Orthodox faith, and being able to raise my family observing the Orthodox faith, I have gained great fulfillment and contentment within my life.

From Lorraine Hill: I remember when my sister Helen and I would go to church, my father (Michael Elias ) would give us a nickel to put in the collection. As we passed Peter’s store, we would always say, “Let’s go into the store and buy some candy,” but we would always keep on walking to church. He also helped the other men clear the land that was purchased for our parish cemetery. I remember Mrs. Xanthopoulos (a relative of Fr. Joseph Elia Xanthopoulos 1912-1917) who was a very nice lady who sold suckers for 3 cents and 5 cents out of her home. As a single mother, she made these suckers in her home to raise money to raise all of her children. When you sat near her in church, she would always sing the responses and of course, a little girl like me would be annoyed. But now I do the same thing. Easter was always a joyous Holy Day – the church was crowded and extra chairs were put anywhere they could be fit. Girls were shopping for weeks to get the perfect dress or suits, hats, shoes, and purses to match. They were hoping the cute altar boys would notice them. The girls with the biggest smiles were wearing beautiful corsages. Girls wearing the corsages had boyfriends and were usually engaged to be married. I also remember that during services, without failure, the train would come blowing the whistle and interrupt the priest. I’m so glad that doesn’t happen now. My mother (Mary Elias) helped the women and I especially remember her making those delicious hoagies.

From Sadie “Moses” Barkovitz: Congratulations on your 110th Anniversary! My name is Sadie Moses Barkovitz of Plains. I am a lifetime member of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church and a member of both the Ladies Auxiliary and Father Nahas Senior Citizens since it first started. I was born and raised in Plains, PA daughter of the late Joseph and Rhoda Moses. My father was a charter member and founder of our church. I am one of 13 children. Deceased and greatly missed members of my family are: Joseph, Jr., Victoria Azain, Helen Biniek, Abraham, Elias, Emily Achey, Elizabeth, Rose Lasiewicki, George, James and Albert. So many of these siblings worked tirelessly for St. Mary’s for many years. Surviving is my sister Loretta “Dolly” Skaff and myself. My memories of going to church are very fond memories. My Dad and oldest brother Joseph “Mosie” would drive us to church and Sunday school and sometimes we would walk back home to Plains. Midnight Liturgy at Christmas and Easter was very special and the church was always full. Picnics and Hafli’s were great times to enjoy good food, music and dancing with our family of church members and friends. When our Parish was going to celebrate our 100th Anniversary, Kh. Anne was asking for pictures, newspaper articles and event books from past hafli’s and other events. Since I love to save things, I had a large collection of old and new newspaper articles about St. Mary’s events over the years. Kh. Anne was able to copy them and use them for the 100 or more posters illustrating our history from the very beginning of its existence. I felt I really contributed to preserving that history in some ways. Because of the flood of Agnes in1972, many of our parishioner’s pictures including our parish photographer Jake Broody, had few pictures left to share. I Hope the church continues for another 100 or more years.

From Loretta (Moses) Skaff: My name is Loretta Skaff, daughter of Rhoda and Joseph Moses who came from Lebanon and who were the parents of 13 children: 8 girls and 5 boys. I was the last born and am now 87 years old. Mom and Pop were firm believers in God and the church and taught us to do the same. As a matter of fact, my father helped to build the 1st Syrian Orthodox Church on High Street in Wilkes-Barre in 1908. While the church was being built, services were held in a home on Mc Carragher Street in Wilkes-Barre. I was baptized and married in that church and my three children: George, David and Frieda were also baptized in the church on High Street. It was also there that I learned my prayers and how and when to bless myself. During church services, the men sat on one side of the church and the ladies on the other side. To prepare for the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, my mother would fast for 40 days without eating anything before noon. She would also gather flowers from the back yard (which she planted herself) and make a bouquet and then take it to church for the feast on August 15th. Another one of mom’s customs was to make a ball of dough, flatten it out and indent the sigh of the cross on it and place it on the top of the door frame as a sign of good luck. She would also do the same if she got a new car. The dough with the sign of the cross would go on the dashboard and be blessed with burning incense. I also remember that my mother had a beautiful singing voice and she often was asked to sing at the church wakes in the basement of the church on High Street in the Sunday School room but she also sang at some weddings. There are so many more things, but unfortunately, I have forgotten. All I know is that my parents were amazing. I don’t know how they managed to raise us all (God rest their souls.) They would always say, “Thank God, no matter what comes along, good or bad and God be with you.” After all the hard work they would do every day, they always found time for a family picnic. They picked a lunch, drove up into the woods where there were picnic tables and a roaring creek where we placed the watermelon to cool. How about that? My father was also a peddler. I was married in 1955 to Wadih Skaff from Homs, Syria. He was an electrician and helped with some electrical work at the church when needed. I believe he was also a member of the El-Husson Club. I generally helped the Ladies in whatever functions they were having at the church.

From Simon George Saba: I started St. Mary’s Boy Scout Troop #68 in 1950. Sam Cross asked me to be his assistant Scout Master. Sam was not at the first meeting, so I phoned him and told him that the Scoutmaster was not at the first meeting. Sam said, “Yes he is.” Five years later, with the Scoutmaster’s key in hand, I moved to New York City and Chet Chrzanowski took over. I also served as a Past SOYO President of the Wilkes-Barre Chapter, Eastern Region SOYO President for two years, and Vice-President for two years. At St. Mary’s Spaghetti dinners, I worked for 19 years and then became manager for 7 years, including one of the cooks. I also served as General Chairman of our 100th Anniversary in 2004. I am married to Julianne Marie Saba.

From Norm Namey, Sr.: This is the story of my parents, Albert and Zanie Namey. It was more than a century ago that my father and mother first met and married in the Church in Allentown. At that time, there was not an “official” Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wilkes-Barre. This is the story of the marriage of Albert Namey and Zanie Mamary as told to me by our mother Zanie. The story begins with their marriage. My father, Albert Bashi, came to the United States in approximately 1901 from the El Hussin in, Syria. As often happened at that time, while coming through immigration, his last name on the documents was altered and he became Albert Namey.

The following year a group of women in their mid-late teens traveled from Mishtiah, Syria to Allentown in hopes of meeting and marrying a Syrian man who was already established in the United States. A group of single Syrian men in Wilkes-Barre heard of the arrival of these women and made the trip to Allentown in hopes of finding a Syrian wife. Albert and his brother Elias were among the group. Albert and Elias owned a Persian rug factory in Wilkes-Barre and although Elias was already married, he accompanied his younger brother Albert as he hoped to find a bride. My parents saw each other for the first time on a Saturday morning in the church hall of the Allentown Parish — St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church. The newly arrived young ladies formed a line. The hopeful men – my father among them – then walked past each woman in hopes of finding a bride.

Albert took his turn walking down the line of women and the first women that caught his eye was the beautiful Zanie. He stopped in front of her, checked her teeth and the strength of her arms. Zanie kept her head bowed and did not make eye contact with Albert; he continued down the line. Albert made a second trip down the line of women and as he passed Zanie this time, she lifted her head at the exact moment Albert was in front of her and their eyes met. He stopped and turned to his brother, Elias, and said, ”I’ll take her.” There was no courtship. The marriage was to take place the following day. A meeting on Saturday led to a wedding on Sunday, which then led to a beautiful life. Albert took Zanie home to Wilkes-Barre where they lived in a small house on Blackman Street.

Zanie and Albert made a beautiful couple. They might have only known each other 24 hours before they married but they were soon inseparable. They shared a full life with their children and families and led a busy social life. Our mom shared with us some of her most enjoyable memories as she grew older. She recalled how she and our dad loved to go to the Strand Theater on East Market Street. They especially enjoyed watching westerns as well as weekly episodes of Tarzan. Her favorite actor played the role of “Black John”.

Though they enjoyed a full and happy life, my parents knew something was missing. This hole in their life as a family was apparently shared by others so in 1904 a group of men, including our father, formed St. Mary Antiochian Church on High Street. The Church was not only a place to worship, it was also a place where Arabic was spoken, a place where the members could share memories and stories about Syria, a place where they could share and enjoy the foods of the Middle East…it was a home. Our family friends were fellow church members. Often times Sundays after attending Church on Sunday the group would head up the mountain to a picnic grove in Mountain Top. Some of our fondest memories were from those days spent on the mountain, picking blueberries and enjoying the company of our church family.

Our dad was not only concerned about our securing a place for our community to worship; he was also concerned about keeping the traditions of our heritage alive. He and six other men from the village of El Hussin founded the El Hussin Club on Parish Street. These men were like brothers and depended on each other. They worried what would happen to their families should they should die at an early age. The each had little or no family in the states, so they vowed to take care of each other’s families in the event of their death. They also agreed to purchase a piece of land adjacent to Maple Hill Cemetery. The seven club members divided the land equally, so that each member had enough burial plots for their children, ensuring they would stay together in death as they did in life. Eventually, the cemetery was donated to St. Mary Orthodox Church.

As the church family grew in their new home on High Street, so did the Namey family. Zanie bore 14 children in their Blackman Street home. Unfortunately, Charles passed away at the age of 3 and another child was stillborn, leaving 6 daughters and 6 sons. In order of their birth, they are Fannie, Bessie, Elias (“Leo”), Mary, Irene, Ruth, Helen, Joseph, Michael, John, George, and the youngest, Norman.

Albert wanted to be able to provide the best he could for his growing family, so he attended night school in order to learn to read and write English. It was a monumental achievement, and within 1 year, Albert and his brother Elias were successful enough to bring their mother to the United States. Once in the states, she lived with Elias and helped weave Persian rugs until her death at the age of 101.

With the Persian rug factory turning a profit, our father went on to become an entrepreneur. He next opened a small grocery store on Blackman Street adjacent to our home. And several years later went on to purchase and operate a junkyard.

Fannie, being the oldest and in her late teens at the time, managed the grocery store. She quickly became an astute businesswoman. At that time, a grocery store chain, the American Store, expanded their business from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre. The owner of the company offered to buy our dad’s store and as part of the deal, our dad asked that Fannie be given a manager’s job at the Wilkes-Barre store. Fannie was employed by Acme Markets for the next 35 years.

The house on Blackman Street was quite crowded with 12 growing children, so our dad bought a 12-room house on the corner of Blackman and Brown streets. Our new house had 4 bedrooms, a large kitchen, a separate dining room, a living room, and third floor and a full basement. There were 2 sets of stairs, one in the living room and one in the kitchen. There was also a staircase on the 2nd floor leading to the 3rd floor. The only drawback…one bathroom, but we survived. This became the Namey family homestead, 141 Brown Street.

In 1940, at the age of 49, our father passed away. Fannie was 29 years old and the youngest child, Norman, was only 5 years old. Our mom, who had never learned to read, write, or speak English, was completely devastated by the loss of her young husband. She was left with 12 children, a home, and a business to run. It was her incredible faith in God and the love and support from her church family that sustained her through this time and helped her to raise her children with strength, pride, and the belief that keeping the family was crucial. She taught her children to love each other…one for all and all for one. She had the foresight to ensure her children would stay unified.

She knew and trusted that Fannie would become the matriarch of the family, which until her death in 2001, at the age of 89, she fulfilled that role with grace and love. Fannie also placed her family needs above her own. Her beauty and intelligence captured the attention of several suitors. While in her 20’s, Fannie turned down a marriage proposal from a wealthy man who lived in Allentown in order to run the grocery store and care for her brothers and sisters. The family homestead on Brown Street became Fannie’s home but was always a place where her sisters and brothers and their families came to celebrate holidays. Fannie, Bessie, Mary, Ruthie, and Helen left school after 8th grade to work and provide income to the family. All the boys and Irene graduated from Meyers High School. Leo, the oldest, was offered a college football scholarship but turned it down in order to take a job at the Acme Warehouse. Joey and John joined Navy after high school and George and Norman went on to graduate from college. A symbol of the depth of my sisters’ love for their brothers is my sister’s Irene decision to join the WAVES thinking she could care for her brothers Joe and John as they were then serving in the Navy.

As my brothers and sisters started their own families, many purchased homes within walking distance of our family home and, all but Bessie, who moved to California, lived within a 5-15 minute drive for all or most of their lives. Although 3 of the 6 boys lived within walking distance of the family homestead, it was our sisters who kept the family together. Our mom would say…a son is a son until he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life. No action signified this more than one of my fondest memories of our mother and my sisters. After each sister had cleaned up their homes in the evening and got their children off to bed, they would meet at our family home for coffee and dessert with our mom and Fannie. They shared events from their day and enjoyed the beauty of being with each other. As God as my witness, when our mom was ready for bed, my sisters would take turns drawing a warm basin of water and washing our mother’s feet. When she had a stroke, it was my sisters who cared for our mom. Their lives revolved around caring for our mother through the time she reposed in 1971 at the age of 79.

In 1955, our mom used her savings to buy a 4-acre plot of land in Mountain Top. Ironically, it was an area mom and dad passed regularly on their drives through the mountainside. They both admired and loved this property. Born and raised on a farm, faming was in our mom’s blood. She grew squash, corn, green beans and cucumbers and other vegetables. She shared her bounty with family and friends.

During the spring, summer, and fall, every Sunday was reserved for our family outings after Church at what we called “the Farm”. Each family bought their special foods: Fannie made cole-slaw, Mary brought hot dogs and made her cookies, Ruthie brought Kibee, Irene tabouli and lasagna, Helen her tomato soup cake and my mom her grapevine leaves and stuffed squash. Her daughters-in-law brought cakes, pies, and ice cream. Our Sunday activities included volleyball, badminton, horseshoes, and baseball. Sisters vs. brothers, family v family and nieces v nephews would play against each other, while my mom watched with pride and satisfaction that she was able to keep the family united. During the week, we took turns driving her to the farm in order to care for her plants. These were the “Golden Years”!

Our legacy as a family is attributed to our sisters, Fannie, Bessie, Mary, Irene, Ruthie, and Helen as they sustained our unity. They truly provided the love, support and financial security for our family.
Our sister’s personalities varied enormously. Each brought special characteristics to their roles. Fannie was our leader, the matriarch after our father’s death. She worked tirelessly in the family homestead but also taught Sunday School for many years. Mary was our protector. If any of her brothers or sisters was being picked on, it was Mary who defended them. Though seemingly tough she had bright happy eyes and a beautiful and quick smile. Helen, known as Aunt Wee-wee, loved to sing. Although she had no children of her own, she often babysat her nieces and nephews, singing them songs, such as “Dimples on the Baby’s Knees”. Bessie took after our dad and was an entrepreneur. She had a brilliant mind for business and became extremely successful in real estate after moving to California. Ruthie was our beauty queen, our socialite. She attended the most prestigious social events in Wilkes-Barre and exuded class and culture. She was a wonderful cook and was herself active with the Antiochian Women and was a terrific cook. Her death in 1971, at the age of 49, just 6 months after the death of our mom, was something our sisters never quite got over. Irene was our peacemaker. Of all the girls, Irene manifested a unique personality, most like our mom’s. Her love and compassion toward her brothers and sisters was boundless. She was the one who listen to her brothers and sisters problems and disagreements, never taking sides and always hear both sides. She was the last of our sisters to pass away, in 2012. The loss of Irene devastated our entire family. There was nothing as beautiful as her smile. One of our fondest memories of Irene was the distribution of pumpkin pies. Each Thanksgiving, she backed 30-40 pumpkin pies for our family. Every family, including nieces and nephews, would drop an empty pie plate off 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and come to pick up an incredible pumpkin pie the day before Thanksgiving. Tabouli, Kibbee, and spaghetti and meatballs where some foods Irene cooked and shared with everyone. She was incredibly patient and taught many of her sisters-in-law and nieces how to prepare these special foods.

One of my fondest memories – and a source of inspiration for our children – was my sisters’ faith. They attended Liturgy together every week, each wearing their special hats. Irene and Helen also spent countless hours each Lent polishing the brass in the Church. They would polish the Altar brass, baptismal and holy water fonts and the candle stands. Our family manifested a cohesiveness and bond that staggered the imagination.

Bearing witness to all these activities, since I was the youngest, living at home with our mom and Fannie, I saw and witnessed our families’ expression of love, compassion and friendship. I not only grew up in St. Mary’s on High Street, I got married there to my beloved wife Phyllis, of blessed memory, on November 21st, 1958. We raised our son Norman, Jr. now a Subdeacon at St. Mary’s and our daughter Lisa in the parish. Lisa’s daughter, my granddaughter Sydney, was baptized at St. Mary’s as well. A special day in our family was the dual chrismation of my wife Phyllis and my daughter-in-law Kate by Father Tom Zain in 1996. They were both sponsored by Aunt Irene, my older sister. Phyllis was very involved in the Ladies Auxiliary while I worked on the Parish Council for eight years and served as the President for 2-3 years. In addition, we both worked at the bazaars, cookouts and other events in the parish. So our mom and dad’s legacy was to foster a family where their children and their children’s children could worship our Lord God, love and respect each other, and bring honor to the Bashi family. In my heart, I know we have all honored that legacy and to this day, I still consider the Parish of St. Mary to be my HOME! The entire Namey family has a rich history, one to be proud of, one steeped in our church, and our traditions. Our parents are truly looking upon us with love and pride today.

The Icon of Christ the Pantokrator

Throughout the year 2005 funds were gradually collected as memorials, and for the good health of parishioners, to enable the parish to commission the painting of the Icon of Christ the Pantokrator—the Ruler of All—for the dome of the Church Temple of St. Mary Orthodox Church. The Icon of Christ the Pantokrator is traditionally in the domes of all Orthdodox Church Temples since the time of the sixth century.
The Icons was painted by a Russian Orthodox Iconographer from St. Petersburg, Ivan, who was residing on the property of St. Tikhon’s Russian Orthodox Monastery and Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.
The Icon was painted on two eight foot semi-circle halves of marine plywood and then brought to the Church were they were each gradually lifted on scaffolding which was erected in the center of the Church Temple.

After each of the halves was attached to the dome, the center of the Icon was repainted to join the two halves into one complete circle.

When the work was completed and the scaffolding removed, all were awed at the beauty of the face of Christ, indeed the Ruler of All, looking down on the assembled congregation offering his blessing to all as we gather for the Divine Liturgy and the other Services of the Lord’s Holy Orthodox Church.