St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church

First liturgy in South Bend September 12, 1926, by 45 Greek immigrant families — at 52455 Ironwood Road since 1978 — sanctuary opened December 4, 1983

Founding: The parish's own history dates its beginning to 1926, not to the postwar decades. Bishop Philaretos of Chicago officiated at the first Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy in the area on January 15, 1926, and on September 12, 1926, the new parish celebrated its first Divine Liturgy in the renovated St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran Church at 418 W. Jefferson Boulevard and S. William Street. The founders were 45 Greek immigrant families; the first priest was Fr. Philotheos Mazokopakis, and membership stood at about 127 in 1927. The cornerstone of an attached brick building — Sunday school, the "Pythagoras" Greek school, and Ahepa Hall — was laid on October 14, 1929.

Michigan Street and Ironwood: In 1956 the parish bought the Grace Methodist Church at 760 S. Michigan Street, celebrating its first liturgy there on June 24, 1956. It then built on Ironwood Road: Phase I, the Good Samaritan Cultural Center, opened May 13, 1978, and served as the sanctuary for five and a half years; ground was broken for the sanctuary on April 3, 1983, and its doors were opened (Thiranixia) on December 4, 1983. The parish belongs to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. Fr. George Konstantopoulos served from 2000 for some twenty years, the longest tenure in the parish's history; the Archdiocese currently lists the Rev. Fr. John Tsikalas, who arrived in 2021, as priest.

The Greek Festival: The parish's Greek Festival is its largest single fundraiser, held each June at the Ironwood Road church. The South Bend Tribune called the 2002 festival the 27th annual, which places the first about 1975; the Michiana Business Review has described it as running "every year for the past 42 years," sharing Greek culture, hospitality and faith with thousands of visitors.

A patriarchal visit: On October 28, 2021, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual head of the Orthodox Church, celebrated a Doxology at St. Andrew during his visit to the United States, on the day he received an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame; several hundred clergy and worshippers attended the service.

Sources:

1. St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church, parish history page (saintandrewgoc.org/history) — the 1926 liturgies, the 45 founding families, the 1929 cornerstone, the 1956 move, and the Ironwood building dates.
2. Parish blog, 90th anniversary retrospective (2016), and parish posts — Bishop Philaretos and January 15, 1926; Fr. Mazokopakis; Fr. Tsikalas's arrival in 2021; Fr. Konstantopoulos's tenure.
3. South Bend Tribune (2002), as catalogued by MBRL — the 2002 festival as the 27th annual.
4. Michiana Business Review — the festival's 42-year run each June at the Ironwood church.
5. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (goarch.org) event page and Metropolis of Chicago greeting, October 28, 2021; Post-Tribune report of the same day; Notre Dame Magazine — Patriarch Bartholomew's Doxology at St. Andrew and the honorary degree.