By Harry Agritha
 

The very first Divine Liturgy held to open our very first Greek church in Somerville was conducted on August 6, 1916 – 100 years ago today. The address was 5 Bow St., a rented hall in Union Square. Although the interior of this Church was very simply appointed, it served well those early settlers in Somerville and allowed people from Greece and Asia Minor to celebrate Divine Liturgy in America. The number of church members was not great, but those who communicated did so with great devotion and purpose. Those people, our ancestors, were very far from Greece and so threw themselves into the church because it was the thread that connected them to the home many would never see again. Their future was here, in the new country of America. Let us remember and honor these brave people who were the foundation of what we see and have today. God bless them!