Book Description

This richly illustrated centennial history begins with the arrival of Lebanese peddlers in Wichita, Kansas, in the 1890s. With only a handful of families, these immigrants in 1918 purchased a modest wooden church on the west side to serve as the city's first Orthodox Christian place of worship. The account of life at the Walnut Street church describes a Lebanese wedding celebration, the ordination of the first full-time priest, and the start of the annual dinner, where women served home-made Lebanese meals in order to raise funds for a new church. The first American-born generation came of age after World War II, sparking an era of growth when English was introduced to the services, Sunday school classes began, and American converts joined the congregation. Inspired by a pair of young, visionary priests, St. George constructed a large Byzantine-style cathedral on Wichita's east side. With the elevation of Fr. Basil Essey to the episcopate in 1992, the cathedral experienced dramatic growth and encouraged the spread of Antiochian Orthodox parishes throughout Kansas. The first 100 years conclude with snapshots of a 600-family community whose members range from fourth-generation descendants of the founders to converts and recent immigrants from Syria, Lebanon, Ethiopia, and other Orthodox countries.