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Renovations part of preparations for Sept. 5-7 festivities honoring pastor
By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
Published on Thursday, Aug 28, 2008
COPLEY TWP.: The man on the lift at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is doing more than painting the gold onion-shaped domes atop the church.
He is communing with God.
''I'm always seeking God,'' Dan Mencini said. ''God speaks to me when I'm painting. God never gets too far away from me.''
Mencini, an exhorter who has traveled abroad to India, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe sharing Christ's love with Harvester's World Outreach, an evangelistic and healing ministry based in Oklahoma, is the owner of Mencini's Painting in Cuyahoga Falls. He finished the three-day job of painting the three 600-square-foot Russian-style domes at the local church Wednesday.
The fresh gold paint job is part of the sprucing up being done at the church in preparation for next weekend's Appreciation Celebration to honor the Rev. Louis Mahshie, who is observing his 45th ordination anniversary, his 30th anniversary at St. George and his 20th anniversary as an Archpriest.
Mahshie, who will celebrate his 74th birthday next Thursday, is the longest-serving pastor in the nine-decade history of the church. He and his wife, Corinne, are also celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary.
St. George was located on South Hawkins Street when Mahshie came to Akron in 1978 from the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area. He immediately started a building program, with a plan to sell the Hawkins Street building and move to a larger facility. When the older church building sold, the money was earmarked for the building fund and the congregation set up temporary worship space in a renovated warehouse near downtown Akron, where it stayed for eight years.
While in the warehouse, a building fund drive was launched and land was purchased. In November 1987, the current facility was consecrated on the 10-acre site at 3204 Ridgewood Road, built at a cost of $1.4 million. Three years later, a $550,000 mortgage was paid off, and six years later, a $300,000 Sunday School expansion was constructed debt-free.
''We want them to know that we appreciate them. Father Lou has helped us grow, physically and spiritually,'' said Sam Salem, the church historian. ''We have a large Sunday School and a thriving choir. We're planning for the construction of our expanded family center. Everything we've done, we owe to him. He's the best there is.''
The celebration will begin with a Hafli (dance party), featuring Arabic music by Lebanese group Tony Eid & Band, at 7 p.m. Sept. 5. A banquet will be held after a special vesper service at 6 p.m. Sept. 6. A Sunday brunch is after the 10:30 a.m. liturgy on Sept. 7.
Archbishop Philip Saliba, head of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America for more than 30 years, will officiate. Saliba, of Englewood, N.J., has been active in searching for a peaceful solution to the longtime Arab-Israeli conflict. He will also host a children's brunch during the weekend.
Saliba's visit is the second time he has come to the local church. His first was in June 1988, when Mahshie was elevated to Archpriest.
''It's a honor to have him come to visit. The last time he was here, we didn't even have the stained-glass windows,'' Mahshie said. ''We want to make sure everything looks nice when he arrives.''
In addition to painting the domes, the congregation has pressure-washed the exterior of the building, painted the building's trim, freshened the landscaping, steamed the carpeting and washed down the kitchen, chairs and tables for the fellowship hall.
Mencini's job is the first time the domes have been painted since the church building was consecrated in 1987. It also is the first time he has painted domes atop an Orthodox church.
''I've painted church steeples before but this is a first,'' Mencini said. ''I will make sure it's done right because I know that God gave me this job to do. I don't advertise big but God has blessed me with work for more than 20 years.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
COPLEY TWP.: The man on the lift at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is doing more than painting the gold onion-shaped domes atop the church.
Get the full article here.
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