Parish History
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Pictures from the St. Mary's Archives
50th Anniversary 1987-His Grace Bishop Antoun, Fr. Paul Blankenstein, Fr. Peter Lambert

Historical Pictures of St. Mary's

We would like to thank those parish members who have shared these pictures.  If anyone has any older pictures of the church and parish events they would like to share please contact the webmaster.

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50th Anniversary 1987-His Grace Bishop Antoun, Fr. Paul Blankenstein, Fr. Peter Lambert
Metropolitan Bashir
Metropolitan Bashir with Fr. Matheson on the altar
Metropolitan Bashir

Dome Installation Pictures
Church with the cedar steeple

Installation of our Dome

From 1937 to 1997 St. Mary's Church had a cedar shake steeple instead of the traditional Orthodox dome. 

In April of 1997 we were blessed to have our Orthodox dome installed. 

Here are a few pictures from that special day.

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Church with the cedar steeple
Steeple being removed
Dome being delivered
Dome being lifted into place
Dome being lifted into place
Cross being installed

Brief History of St. Mary's Church in Iron Mountain

Years go by and memories fade. The following history has been revealed by Peter Massrouha and Helen Corombos. If, by chance, names are not included that should have been, we apologize.

Picture yourself back in 1934, 1935 and 1936. You are an immigrant to this beautiful country, yet you miss your weekly worship of our Lord Jesus Christ in the tradition you were taught by your parents.  You want to worship in an Eastern Orthodox House of God, yet there is no church within traveling distance of Iron Mountain…

You gather together your family, sometimes with other families to pay reverence to our Saviour, who stood by your side as you traveled to America, a strange yet electrifying country in which only a handful of people speak your native language.  Worshiping at home partially satisfied your needs, but what about gathering together with others of your faith — “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them.”         

Times were rough, money was difficult to come by let alone save, but save they did — salesmanship helped also — coffee normally selling for 5 cents a cup was offered at 10 cents with all proceeds going to what is now “Our Beloved St. Mary’s”.

Abe Khoury’s wife, Mary, and Sadie George, sister of Fadel George, embarked on a mission to procure their own Eastern Orthodox Church along with the combined forces of a small group of families: Mike and Sadie Abraham, Jake and Nora Jacobs, Abe and Tazeh Jacobs, Abe and Nazira Jacobs, Fadel and Mary George, Steve and Bessie Papas, John and Helen Corombos, George and Marika Corombos, Chris and Mary Anegon, Art and Penelope Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Rapaich, and numerous others.

By 1936, the amount raised from social gatherings and donations grew to $387.00. Somehow this money was entrusted to a priest from Spring Valley, Illinois, who was passing through. Perhaps communications were lacking because the priest took the money with him when he returned to Illinois. As some will remember, Fadel George worked for the railroad and obtained a free pass for his sister, Sadie, to journey to Spring Valley, Illinois, where she successfully collected the money and returned home determined more than ever to expedite the founding of an Orthodox Church.

Our little church was purchased for $600.00 from a Lutheran Bishop in Escanaba, Michigan in 1937. 50 years later, in 1987, we celebrated our Golden Anniversary with His Grace Bishop Antoun presiding. Most certainly Our Lord gathered his flock and paved the way so those of Orthodox Faith could worship as our Forefathers had, Proudly, Sincerely, and Faithfully. Therefore, it is with Pride and Love we dedicate this church — firstly, to our Forefathers who have made this history possible, secondly, to those who now follow in their footsteps, and finally to those who will follow in our footsteps and keep the Faith that has been established in our “Miracle Church”.

We thank God for the progress HE obviously spearheaded for the small but powerful St. Mary’s Orthodox Church.

Thought for the Day

When fasting is understood in a true, Christian sense and not in a legalistic, pharisaical way, then the forgiving of insults and abstaining from covetousness are a fast, and this the most important fast, or, if you wish, the greatest fruit of fasting. For indeed, there is very little value in abstaining from food without abstinence from the returning of insult for insult and the illusion of earthly riches. - St. Nicholai of Zica on The Forgiveness Sunday Gospel. (Matt. 6:14-21)


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Daily Orthodox Scriptures for Kids
Daily Orthodox Scriptures for Kids
New Testament readings with a short commentary at the end just for kids Usually around five minutes long, it is a fantastic way to get our children into the Bible.


Daily Orthodox Scriptures
Daily Orthodox Scriptures
A Journey Together Reading Through the Bible in One Year - Fr. Alexis Kouri helps lead listeners through a reading of the entire Bible in one year.


What is Orthodoxy?

"Sometimes called the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church is the first Christian Church, the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and described in the pages of the New Testament.  Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and His Twelve Apostles.  For twenty centuries, she has continued in her undiminished and unaltered faith and practice.  Today her apostolic doctrine, worship, and structure remain intact.  The Orthodox Church maintains that the Church is the living Body of Jesus Christ."      

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.