St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church
Tri-Cities, Washington
Parish History
rom
September 1997 to January 1998 the Very Reverend Archpriest
Gregory E. Roth, a retired Air Force Chaplain, was able to serve
as the first full-time priest at St. Nectarios, supported partly
by the Archbishop Iakovos Fund from the Orthodox Christian
Mission Center and partly by St. Nectarios. In February 1998,
Father Anthony Tomaras returned to serve again, offering the
Divine Liturgy twice a month and on major Feast Days. Father
Anthony and Presvytera Sophronia Tomaras retired again from
active ministry following the Divine Liturgy on August 13, 2000.
On the weekend of September 23 and 24, 2000, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony, presiding hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of San Francisco, met with the parishioners of St. Nectarios and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for them that Sunday. His Eminence announced that, with God's help and the support of the parishioners, another priest could one day be sent to serve the parish. In the interim, the Metropolitan arranged to have a priest at St. Nectarios as often as possible. On the Sundays when a priest is not available, The Typica (Reader's Service) is held so that the faithful have the opportunity to come and pray together. Our reader for many years was Robert Allen, who was tonsured a Reader by Metropolitan Anthony.
Father Joseph Velez, an assistant priest at St. Demetrios’ in Seattle, came to offer the Liturgy on the Feast of St. Nectarios, November 8, 2000. He continued to provide a Liturgy one Wednesday evening a month through March 2001. Father Tom Avramis of Trinity Children and Family Services in San Bernardino, California traveled with his family to offer theLamentations Service on Good Friday, and the Resurrection Service and Easter Vespers 2001.
From Easter of 2001 through the beginning of Great Lent in 2003 the Typica (Reader's Service) was observed every Sunday at 10:00 AM. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated once or twice a month with the gracious assistance of Father James Retelas of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Portland, Oregon, Father Dane Popovic of St. Sava Serbian Othodox Church in Issaquah, Washington, and other priests who were available.
The Parish Council of St. Nectarios worked assiduously with the Missions Board of the Metropolis (diocese) of San Francisco to find a way to bring a full time priest to St. Nectarios and support him.
After much prayer and the efforts of many people, Father Patrick Irish arrived at St. Nectarios at the beginning of Great Lent, 2003 and provided weekly services throughout the rest of 2003.
Starting in January 2004, Father Deacon Timothy Read joined our local Orthodox community to lead us in our weekly services. Father Micheal Dunaway will join him to provide Divine Liturgy approximately twice a month.
The future of St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Mission Church is bright. We look to serve the spiritual needs of Orthodox Christians of the Mid-Columbia Region. Being a missionary parish, St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Mission Church exists to be the Light of Orthodoxy for those who are earnestly searching out the Truth who is Jesus Christ and who desire to be united to the One Church that He founded on the Foundation of the Holy Apostles.