GOARCH: In 1976 a growing Archdiocese met a nation’s 200th birthday

By Marissa Costidis

In 1976, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America stood at a remarkable moment in its history. The great wave of postwar Greek immigration was still fresh in the life of the Church, and Archbishop Iakovos had become one of the most visible Orthodox leaders in the history of the United States. Internal records and historical references indicate that the Archdiocese was serving more than 250,000 Orthodox households during this period, near the height of immigration-driven growth.

The Archdiocese in 1976 It was truly providential that the Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese coincided with the Bicentennial of America’s founding. As America celebrated its 200th birthday, clergy and laity from across the Archdiocese, then spanning the entire Western Hemisphere, gathered in Philadelphia to celebrate a milestone of its own—a growing knowledge that it has moved from an immigrant church to an increasingly-visible community in the American religious landscape. It was truly fitting that the Congress was held in the same city where our nation was born two centuries prior.

In parishes across the country, Greek could still be heard as…