Summary
The Antiochian Orthodox church in Cicero, Illinois, that became a focal point of Palestinian Christian community life in Chicago (Palestinian Chicago — Identity in Exile, PDF p.59).
Details
- Antiochian Orthodox Christians, the majority of Palestinian Christians in Chicago, coalesced by the late 1950s, met in the Syrian-Lebanese Club in Austin, received priests traveling from Buffalo, New York, and then a full-time priest appointed by the Orthodox bishop in Pennsylvania; they leased a former Episcopalian church in Oak Park, bought a worship space there, and ultimately moved to permanent premises in Cicero (PDF p.59).
- The community was predominantly Palestinian but retained a pan-Orthodox character, attracting other Arab Christians and Orthodox practitioners of Southern and Eastern European backgrounds (PDF p.59).
- Imm George, an octogenarian parishioner, recalled being welcomed with flowers and food on her first visit after arriving in Chicago: “It was amazing!” (PDF p.59).