BEGINNINGS

        Saint Thomas the Apostle Romanian Orthodox Church was established out of Romanian and Macedo-Romanian fraternal societies. As one member said at a church Synod: "Our church is established by our societies and their members.

        The majority of Romanians came prior to World War II and most of them came from Transilvania, Bucovina and Banat. The Macedo-Romanians came especially from the Albania area. These people immediately organized into fraternal societies.

        The first known Macedo-Romanian arrived in the United States in 1897 from Coritza, Albania. His name was Ion (John) Croetoriu and he came to St. Louis, Missouri. He received his citizenship papers here in St. Louis on October 17, 1898.

        In St. Louis, the Romanians located around the Soulard area. The present-day location of the Monsanto complex was at one time home of many Romanians. The area basically extended from Third Street up to Twelfth Street. The Macedo-Romanians, located around Lamp Avenue where the brewery now stands, as well as in the neighborhood of the Holy Trinity Serbian and St. Michael Russian churches on the south side.

        Many of the Macedo-Romanians went to the Albanian church or to St. Nicholas Greek Church prior to the formation of the St. Thomas Romanian Church.

        In the 1920's and 1930's, these people worked in the cotton mill on Third Street, the foundry around Second Street, and International Shoe Company. Salaries ranged from $9.00 a week in foundries making railroad wheels to $27.00 a week for piece-work in the shoe factory. North of St. Louis in Itasca, Romanians settled around the Portland Cement Company making 14cents an hour and working twelve-hour days.

        Many of the Romanians later moved to Michigan and Ohio where jobs were more plentiful and Romanians churches existed. One such person was Mrs. Anna Mercea who went on to become the secretary of the SOLIA newspaper and served in that capacity for many years until her retirement in 1948. Some Macedo-Romanians moved to Connecticut and Rhode Island where other Macedo-Romanians communities exist.

LEADERSHIP

        Over the past fifty years, this parish has had nine priest serve at her altar and fourteen parish council presidents. The longest period of stability was when Fr. Coriolan Isacu was parish priest. During his 32 years, he had the able assistance of Mr. Charles Gaines who held the position of parish council president for 17 years.

        It is worthy to note that it was not until 1949 that Fr. Isacu agreed to devote his full time to St. Thomas Cgurch and only in 1960 did he stop administering to St. Andrew Church in Terre Haute, Indiana.

        From 1967 to the present, a period of 35 years, St. Thomas Church has had nine priests who served from one to five years at this Altar.

FATHER CORIOLAN ISACU

        Fr. Coriolan Isacu arranged for his own ordination under Bishop Adam in New York at time of severe shortage of priests and when Laymen were obtained with little or no training. In the summer of the 1947, Fr. Isacu became part of the Second Ad-Interim Commission which governed our Episcopate until the summer of 1948. This was a reform council which contained a number of men who were in agreement with Fr. John Trutza. Fr. Isacu continued his diocesian involvement in 1954 when Bishop Valerian revised SOLIA and added Fr. Isacu to the staff to write "a column explaining the faith to the young people". That same year he played a role in the organization of the church in Miami by going down to investigate the possibility of establishing a new parish there. The Episcopate history identifies Fr. Isacu as part of the "old team" that was supportive of Archbishop Valerian and the Vatra from beginning.

CHURCH BUILDINGS

        St. Thomas the Apostle Church has known three locations: 1427 Missouri Avenue (a house church); 5624 South Compton Avenue (converted funeral home); and 6501 Nottingham Avenue, our present location where the faithful built a new edifice from the ground up.

        The Missouri Avenue church was consecrated September 24, 1938 by Bishop Polycarp; the Compton Avenue church on June 24, 1954 by Bishop Valerian; and the Nottingham Avenue church's cornerstone was laid May 15, 1959 and the Church was consecrated October 18, 1959. The total cost of the new church was over $168,000. Approximately six and one-half years later, the church was paid off. The date was May, 1966.

        The community has owned two parish house. One, on Rhodes Avenue, was purchased in 1968 for $17,000 and later sold. The Murdoch Avenue parish house was purchased in 1979 for $85,000.

YOUTH GROUP

        During the time when the church was on Compton Avenue, the first parish youth auxiliary, Amory, was formed. The diocese was when between two national youth organizations, the Central Organization of the Romanian Orthodox Youth (OCTRA) which began in 1935, and the American Romanian Orthodox Youth (AROY) which began in 1950. "The idea of a national youth organization lingered on, however. After World War II and return of the young men, youth clubs began functioning again in several parishes such as ... St. Louis". Most Amroy members also joined the choir and later established an AROY chapter in this parish.

"FAMILY CHURCH"

        St. Thomas Romanian Orthodox Church has long been a "family church". Members lived in the same neighborhoods, visited one another, and shared their joy and sorrow. Many of the founders are now gone, yet their contributions remain and their children carry on. These children are our present leaders. Our parish council, ladies auxiliaries, church school have all been influenced, shaped and guided by this generation of America Orthodox. The faithful of St. Thomas Church have preserved and continue to proclaim the Orthodox Christian faith.

        Nevertheless, the future of St. Thomas the Apostle Romanian Orthodox Church lies in her ability to remain an intimate and sharing community, to express love and unity, and to mobilize her talents and energies for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a world far different from the mountain villages of Albania, Macedonia, Greece or Romania.