Our Parish History

Settlement in Their New Land

The story of our community, as seen from the minutes of the Parish Council meetings and general assemblies, has mirrored the history of the Greek immigrants to the United States. Most of the families in Greek School from 1928-1936 were industrial workers in the tanneries and other manufacturing plants. From these minutes we learn that they were strong-minded, individualistic people, not reluctant to take a stand and vigorously debate issues and ideas.  A Greek immigrant community would not be complete without a local church to serve the spiritual needs of the people, and thus the beginnings of our present church began.

The Beginning of a Parish

With the advent of their first regular pastor, the Rev. Georgios Constantinou, the Parish Council with its President, Theodoros Govostis, determined to forge ahead with establishment of a church and Greek school.  The first church was housed in a building in the rear of a Methodist church, “fronting on Harlow Court and within a stone’s throw from Main Street.”  However, it soon became obvious that the space there was inadequate, as parishioners were calling for additional organizations to be housed in those premises.  This led to the purchase of the Thomas Moore estate and the remodeling of the building into a Greek Orthodox Church.  The expenses for this project put a great strain on the resources of the parishioners who nevertheless remained faithful in their determination to realize their dreams for a suitable house of worship. 

The stewardship practiced by the parishioners at this time, as evidenced in the recorded minutes of the Parish Councils, truly serves as exemplary model of faithful Christians for all of us. The achievements of these people in the absence of a permanent pastor is further testimony of their commitment to their faith and Hellenic heritage. In the midst of all their financial strains, political conflicts, and the transience of the clergy, the members of the Greek community reached out and participated in events organized by the wider society of Woburn and other surrounding cities and towns.

Dauntless Commitment of the Parishioners

Neither a small fire that caused damage to the sanctuary of the church in 1923, nor the big fire in 1926, discouraged the parishioners of the Annunciation Church.  On the contrary, the second fire served to bolster their morale, determination and commitment to their church. Volunteers were organized into groups who worked on extensive repairs, while services were held in other locations.  Donors willingly came forward for the renovation of the interior and the exterior of the church building, as well as for the painting of new icons.  The parish enjoyed a short-lived period of peaked resolution, but the hard times brought on by the Great Depression took a heavy toll on parish finances.

Woburn Church Joins the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

The controversial issue of the New (Gregorian) and the Old (Julian) Calendar which rocked the Church of Greece was rather smoothly resolved by the Woburn parish. At a meeting of the General Assembly in June of 1930, the parishioners overwhelmingly voted to recognize the Patriarchate of Constantinople as their supreme administrative authority, and adopted the New Calendar. A very important milestone in the life of the parish was the official appointment of the Rev. Michael Sophocleous as parish priest with the approval of Bishop Ioakeim of Boston. Following the acceptance of the Common Parish By-Laws of the Greek Archdiocese, the Woburn parish entered into full participation in all aspects of Church life.

Toward the Construction of a New Church

Despite the turmoil brought about by the World War II, the parishioners determined that their expanding numbers necessitated a new, larger church. While the whole parish was actively involved in raising funds for this project, a new church did not materialize until the late fifties. In the meantime it had become  obvious to parishioners that America was their new home, and that returning to Greece was no longer a viable option. When the fire in the church on November 7, 1956 caused extensive damage, it was resolved that a new church had to be built. Intensive fund raising was undertaken, and on November 17, 1957, Makarios III Archbishop of Cyprus, laid the cornerstone of the new edifice.

On Sunday, September 28, 1958, Bishop Athenagoras of Elaias officiated at the Opening Door ceremonies, assisted by several clergymen from all over New England.  A crowd of over 2000 people was in attendance, including high ranking political and governmental dignitaries.

Consecration of the Church

On June 8 and 9 of 1974, Archbishop Iakovos came to Woburn for the consecration of the new church fifty-seven years after the establishment of the parish and sixteen years after the opening of the new church. All these events described above are clear testimony to the faithfulness and understanding of the parishioners of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary that the Church of Christ is of primary importance, and a challenge that succeeding generations continue with their vision and devotion to Christ.

Construction of the Hellenic Community Center

After literally decades of trying, the new Woburn Hellenic Community Center was opened in 2006, featuring a beautiful function hall, with a large dance floor, plenty of seating, a fireplace and bay windows. Off of the function hall is a state of the art kitchen, the Stamos Bar, and storage areas. In addition, the Community Center is home to the new Church Office, Priest’s Office and the Bibilos Library.

100th Anniversary

The two major social events of the 100th Anniversary were the Clergy Recognition Event where many of the former Priests of Annunciation returned for a wonderful dinner and offered remarks and remembrances of the church during their tenure. Additionally there was the 100th Anniversary Gala that was held at the Andover Country Club and attended by his Eminence Metropolitan Methodios. During the course of the 100th Anniversary a major fund drive was conducted to renovate and beautify the church proper, the chapel and the pangari.