About Our Parish
OUR HISTORY & PATRON SAINT
In 1937, pastoral outreach work began in the Argo neighborhood to minister to Orthodox Christian workers at the Argo Corn Products plant and their families. The majority of these families were Slavs from the former Austro-Hungarian lands, but there was also a significant number of Greek families in the area. St Panteleimon Church was formally organized in 1938 as the first local Orthodox parish outside the city limits of Chicago. An existing church building was soon secured in the neighborhood, which was remodeled and consecrated in 1940. The intervening decades have witnessed periods of both growth and decline, the transition from a neighborhood church to a commuter congregation, and many other changes—but through it all, we have continued to experience the faithfulness of God from generation to generation. In 2023, our parish celebrates its 85th anniversary as an integral part of Orthodox ministry in the Chicago area, with thanksgiving for God's mercies thus far and renewed hope for the future. (To read a more detailed parish history, click here.)
Saint Panteleimon, our patron saint, lived during the reign of Emperor Maximian in the early 4th century. His mother Euboula, a Christian, died when he was just a child; his father Eustorgios, a pagan, raised him to be virtuous and gave him a good education. He was trained as a physician, and after his conversion to Christ, became known for his gift of healing both physical and spiritual ailments. He dedicated his life to helping the poor and the sick, refusing payment for his services. Accused before the authorities out of envy, he was martyred for his faith in Christ while still in his 20s. Saint Panteleimon is one of the most beloved saints in the Orthodox Church worldwide. (To learn more about him, you can read his full life.)
OUR PARISH CLERGY
Rector of the Parish
fresteban@saintpanteleimon.org
Father Esteban was born and raised in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He became an Orthodox Christian in 2001, and served in the Church for many years after that, both as a cantor and in various capacities in parish and diocesan life. Following variegated undergraduate studies in the classical languages, literature, and theology, he earned a master's degree in theology, and is now a doctoral student in New Testament and Early Christianity at Loyola University Chicago. Ordained to the diaconate in 2015 and to the presbyterate in 2016, he has served at St Panteleimon Church since 2017. Additionally, he serves as the Vice-Chancellor of our Diocese of the Midwest. He is married to Popadia Amanda, and they have two children.
Deacon of the Parish
protodeacon@saintpanteleimon.org
Protodeacon Robert, a Southwest Chicago original, married his high school sweetheart here at St Panteleimon, her home parish, in 1975. He became an Orthodox Christian in 1986, and went on to faithfully serve the parish in many capacities over the years. He was a part of the very first class of the Diaconal Vocations Program in our Diocese of the Midwest, and was ordained to the diaconate in 1998. For his excellent service in holy orders, he was raised to the rank of Protodeacon in 2008, and awarded the kamilavka in 2019. He and Matushka Sue have four children and five grandchildren.
