St. Thomas Orthodox Church (Sioux City, Iowa)

St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Sioux City, Iowa is a parish of the Chicago and Middle American Deanery of the Diocese of Chicago and Middle-America, part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, a constituent archdiocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Founded in 1916, as part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch to serve the Syrian and Lebanese immigrant community that existed in Sioux City at that time, it is the oldest Orthodox parish in Sioux City and has become a pan-Orthodox community with members from across the Siouxland region. History 1895 The first Syrian families move to Sioux City. 1905 Fr. Nicola Yanney of the Arab Mission of the Diocese of the Aleutians and North America of the Russian Orthodox Church performs the first Orthodox baptisms in Sioux City. 1916 Representatives from twenty-five families met on 26 June 1916 with Fr. Alia Hamaty who give them the Archdiocese's blessing to form the Syrian Orthodox Benevolent Society. The aim of the society was to build an Orthodox parish in Sioux City and to establish an Orthodox cemetery. They soon purchased the first church building for St. Thomas at 6th St and Iowa St. 1918 The parish moves the church building to a new location at 8th St and Iowa St. 1928 The Benevolent Society establishes the St. Thomas Cemetery by purchasing land adjacent to Graceland Cemetery. Graceland Cemetery itself had only been established in 1909; since 1953, Graceland Cemetery has been owned by the City of Sioux City. 1930 Fr. Michael M. Yanney — nephew of Fr. Nicola Yanney — is appointed as the first full-time rector of St. Thomas by Archbishop Victor (Abo-Assaly), the founding primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. Serving until November 1953, he remains the longest-tenured rector in the parish's history. 1935 St. Thomas hosts its first Syrian-Lebanese Dinner. An event that would become popular throughout the Siouxland area, it would continue annually until 2014. 1938 An English-language choir, believed to be the first in any Eastern Orthodox parish in the United States, debuts at St. Thomas. 1940 In October 1940, the Divine Liturgy was first celebrated completely in English at St. Thomas; until then, it had only been celebrated in Arabic. 1945 Property is purchased at 1100 Jones St for a new church building. 1952 The congregation begins holding services in the basement of the new building in 1951 until the dedication of the completed building on 5 October 1952. 1969 St. Thomas drops the word "Syrian" from its name. 1979 A new two-story addition is dedicated on 5 September 1976 containing classrooms, a meeting room, an office for the rector, and an expanded kitchen. 2006 Fr. Tom Begley leaves after having served at St. Thomas for twenty-two years, becoming the second-longest-serving rector in the parish's history. 2016 Over Labor Day weekend, the parish celebrates its centennial with a visit from Metropolitan Joseph. 2024 Beginning January 1st, 2024 the Antiochian archdiocese formally closed St. Thomas Orthodox Church. The congregation merged with the then growing Holy Annunciation Orthodox Mission (ROCOR) as St. Thomas Orthodox Church (ROCOR) Today Although, perhaps, best known for their food, both St. Thomas and Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church are known for the blessing of the Missouri River, performed annually in conjunction with the feast of Theophany. References Further reading