St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Fort Worth, TX

The first Greek Orthodox to arrive in Ft. Worth, Texas was Demetrios Anagnostakis, a native of Crete, in 1892. His interest in cattle and cowboys and his desire to be a cowboy brought him to Ft. Worth, the leading cattle center of the southwest. By 1910 the Greek Orthodox Christian population had grown from one to approximately two hundred single men, mostly from Asia Minor, who had come to America to escape the tyranny of the Turks.

In January 1910, five men met to initially organize the St. Demetrios parish. A charter was issued November 7, 1910 by the Office of the Secretary of the State of Texas, making St. Demetrios the first Greek Orthodox parish in the state of Texas and the southwest. In February 1917, the cornerstone of the church was placed in the building at Ross Ave. and N.W. 21st St. during a special "Blessing of the Waters" ceremony.

Over the years, the St. Demetrios parish continued to grow. Among many things, the parish established the first Texas order of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (1923), organized the Greek American Youth Club (1947), hosted their first Greek Festival (1969), and opened the doors to the St. Demetrios Community Center (1982). April 21, 2002, the parish held the first church service in their beautiful new sanctuary at N.W. 21st St. and Jacksboro Hwy. On August 18, 2002 we celebrated the formal opening of doors at a "Thyranexia" service with Metropolitan Isaiah officiating.

We invite all of you to share in the deep traditions of our faith and the history of Ft. Worth's Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.