In 1926, a group of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in Indianapolis founded a church where they could practice their traditional faith and build a community. A century later, St. George Orthodox Church — now in Fishers — continues to grow, and the congregation plans to celebrate its 100th anniversary along with its popular Middle Eastern Festival.
The first St. George Orthodox Church was built in the 2700 block of North Sherman Drive, in the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood of Indianapolis. Father Anthony Yazge, the church’s current priest, said that as the congregation grew, it needed more space, which led to a second church built in 1961 — also on North Sherman Drive, but further north.
The congregation’s growth and its northern migration continued with a third church at its current location on 116th Street in Fishers, completed in 2013. Yazge noted that as the church grew, it welcomed new members from different backgrounds…