Holyoke's community was largely built around the Orthodox Church, even prior to the construction of its permanent home. In the earliest years the community was hosted in the grand hall of the , at which the first Greek Orthodox church services were held by Reverend Papaleloudas, as well as celebrations of the Greek Revolution, and meetings of the Pan-Hellenic Union of America, which had 20,000 members in 1913 and maintained a branch in Holyoke. During the Second Balkan War in 1913, the organization would receive letters from those of the community fighting for their country overseas, with at least 40 such men going overseas for the effort against Bulgaria.