To dream something is one thing -- to watch it take shape and form is the foundation of a lifetime. For those seeking to begin a third Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore, that dream has become a reality; a life-long pilgrimage to erect God’s house for all those to follow and to the eternal Glory of His name.

The history of the Saint Demetrios Parish began when the need for a third Greek Orthodox Church in the suburbs of Baltimore permeated the thoughts of many people for many years. During a pastoral visit to Baltimore, His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos, spoke with Christopher Makres of the church’s need to move out where the people are and recommended that the young people of Baltimore should meet in the suburbs and set the foundation for a new church. What followed, and in a short amount of time, is testimony of the will of man seeking to do works pleasing unto the Lord.

For the next several weeks, dedicated and enthusiastic young stewards including Christopher Makres, Constantine Alexion, Dan Stamathis, Michael Karas, Gabriel Pantelides and John Sitaras tapped on the shoulders of other strong faithful of Baltimore to see if there was sufficient interest in following the directive of Archbishop Iakovos. By word of mouth, interest grew among the young people who were called and guided by the Holy Spirit to an incredible challenge; one that would be a cornerstone of their lives.

Several preliminary meetings were held leading up to the celebrated first general meeting of November 29, 1969 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Pantelides. It was agreed that a church should be founded to serve the spiritual needs of the Greek Orthodox faithful in order to preserve and perpetuate their religious and cultural heritage.

With task at hand and much apprehension, the members of the Steering Committee established at this meeting set out to lay the foundation of what was to come. Much of our humble beginnings is due in large part to the vision and dedication of these early stewards of the church.

Following the first meeting in New York with His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos on February 3, 1970, a pledge drive was initiated. This began an impressive first year. In order to meet the requirements of the Archdiocese, signatures representing 102 families and pledges totaling over $100,000 were gathered within 30 days. At the charter meeting held April 5, 1970 at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, an interim Parish Council was elected to begin the necessary deliberations that would lead themselves down a daring path of becoming the third Greek Orthodox parish in Baltimore. On May 15, 1970, all the hard work up to this point was recognized when the Archdiocese granted our Ecclesiastical Charter giving us life and a concrete foothold from which the growth evolved.