Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church sits at 123 Gilkeson Road, where the streets of Mt. Lebanon and surrounding South Hills neighborhoods meet. Its shining gold dome, added in 1977 above the worship space opened in 1969, makes the building recognizable for miles around, and the parish has carried the nickname "the Church on the Hill" or, in its own language, "the Light on the Hill" ever since. Holy Cross belongs to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and serves a congregation that grew from ninety families who gathered at an American Legion Hall in Brookline in November 1950 to today's multigenerational community of cradle Orthodox and converts, Greek Americans and parishioners from a wide range of backgrounds.
From a Brookline Coffee Hour to a South Hills Landmark
The story of Holy Cross begins with the wave of Greek immigrants who, around the time of the Second World War, began moving from Pittsburgh's North Side and Oakland neighborhoods into the South Hills suburbs. Finding the trip downtown for worship increasingly inconvenient, a group of these families began meeting in 1950 to explore the idea of founding their own parish. A series of informal coffee hours grew into a general meeting in November 1950 at the American Legion Hall in Brookline, where ninety families unanimously resolved to establish a Greek Orthodox Church in the South Hills.
By the fall of 1952 the group had a location, opening the doors of a property at Brookline Junction on Parquet Street for worship. The next year they purchased the former Mt. Lebanon Lutheran Church at Washington Road and Academy Avenue, and in 1954 the parish officially opened there under the name Holy Cross. The Academy Avenue building quickly became too small. After an extended search the parish purchased an eleven-acre tract at the intersection of Gilkeson and Washington Roads. Site preparation began in the spring of 1966, with groundbreaking ceremonies on September 10 and 11. Construction started on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1968, and continued for the next eighteen months.
On September 14, 1969, the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, His Grace Bishop Gerasimos celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the new building, and the church was blessed. For several months afterward workmen finished the iconostasis, installed the altar, fitted out classrooms, an office, a library and a kitchen, and began landscaping the grounds. Archbishop Iakovos formally consecrated the Church of the Holy Cross on September 19, 1971, with hundreds of the faithful receiving Holy Communion.
The dome, whose faceted glass windows and gold exterior now define the South Hills skyline, was approved by the General Assembly in 1976 and completed in the fall of 1977. The Community Center followed in 1993 after nearly a decade of planning and construction. In 2004, on the occasion of the parish's fiftieth anniversary, a major renovation and beautification project transformed the sanctuary and narthex with Byzantine-style chandeliers, new iconography, and a refreshed interior palette.
Sunday Worship: Orthros and the Divine Liturgy
The rhythm of parish life centers on Sunday morning. Orthros, the service of Matins, begins at 8:15 a.m., and the Divine Liturgy follows at 9:30 a.m. The two services are part of a single liturgical arc: Matins celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, the event that makes the Liturgy possible. Parishioners arrive at any point from the beginning of Matins through the early part of the Liturgy, and a memorial service typically begins around 11:00 a.m., about fifteen minutes long.
During the Liturgy, the congregation stands for prayer as the normal posture of worship. The Epistle is heard seated; the Gospel is heard standing; everyone sits for the sermon and then stands for most of the remainder of the service. Around 10:40 a.m., children who have been attending with their parents are given Holy Communion first, after which they depart for Sunday School while the rest of the faithful remain for the conclusion of the Liturgy. Announcements and a second sermon follow, with dismissal around 11:30 a.m.
Music at Holy Cross draws on two Orthodox traditions. The hymns of Matins are traditionally chanted a cappella by the chanters and choir, while most Liturgies are sung with organ accompaniment, supporting congregational singing led by the choir. The church is also home to a Greek Dance group that rehearses after the Liturgy, from about 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each Sunday.
First-Time Visitors: What to Expect
Holy Cross greets newcomers with the words Xarite ("Rejoice!"), the ancient Greek call of welcome. Visitors will notice movement before and during the service: people crossing themselves and bowing before icons, lighting candles, kissing the iconostasis. During the Divine Liturgy the congregation exchanges the kiss of peace with the greeting "Christ is in our midst" and the response "He is and always shall be." Some worshipers shake hands; others exchange a kiss on each cheek. No one is expected to know every gesture on a first visit, and parishioners are glad to share the meaning of unfamiliar moments.
The Orthodox practice of veneration explains why people kiss icons, the chalice, the priest's vestment as he passes, and finally the priest's hand at the end of the service as they receive a piece of blessed bread (antidoron). The blessed bread is offered to everyone present as a sign of hospitality and growing unity, but Holy Communion itself is reserved for baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting from midnight, and recent confession. Visitors who are not Orthodox are warmly welcomed to receive the blessed bread and to speak with Fr. Michael or another member of the clergy after the service about what they have experienced.
There is no particular dress code; visitors typically wear business-casual or Sunday-better clothing, but the only rule of standing is that anyone who finds the long periods of standing too challenging is welcome to sit at any time. The church does not rent its Community Center to outside groups, but all are welcome at worship and at the fellowship that follows.
The Building: Dome, Iconography, and the Cross Garden
Inside the sanctuary, the iconostasis separates the nave from the altar, with the central Holy Doors flanked by the Deacon's Doors bearing icons of angels. Icons cover the walls, surrounding the worshipers with the "great cloud of witnesses" of saints who join the liturgy invisibly. The 2004 renovation introduced new Byzantine-style chandeliers and an expanded iconographic program, work that continues through a dedicated Iconography Project. A Cross Garden at the entryway is being redesigned to showcase the historic stone cross from the Academy Avenue church and to provide a dedicated pedestrian path from the parking lot to the church doors.
The fifteen-acre grounds are themselves an ongoing ministry. A Landscape Beautification Project, organized by a parish committee with support from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and LaQuatra Bonci Associates, completed Phase 1 in 2022, adding a new entry road sign, rehabilitating the Courtyard Prayer Garden, and stabilizing the hillside slopes. Phase 2, now in planning, will install the new entry prayer garden, rebuild the Cross Garden, add stone benches and decorative lighting, and tackle erosion control. Future phases will address the parking lot, additional plantings, and storm-water management.
Beyond Sunday: Weekly Rhythms and Great Vespers
The week unfolds around a regular set of gatherings. Great Vespers is celebrated on Saturday evenings at 5:00 p.m. as the gateway to Sunday. On Wednesday evenings Bible Study meets at 7:00 p.m., and on Thursday evenings Catechism Class gathers at 7:00 p.m. for adults and youth who wish to learn more about the Orthodox faith, whether already Orthodox or inquiring. During the fasting seasons leading up to major feasts, the service of Paraklesis, a supplication to the Theotokos, is offered on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
Greek School meets every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., September through May. The faculty offers traditional first-through-sixth grade classes and a beginner conversational class for children, and an adult class from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Even complete beginners are welcome; the school's aim is to teach students to read, write, and speak Greek while exploring the customs and traditions that shaped the early Church.
Throughout Great Lent and Holy Week, Holy Cross follows the full Orthodox cycle. The Presanctified Liturgy is served at 9:00 a.m. on Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week, with Bridegroom Orthros in the evenings. Holy Unction is offered on Holy Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. The Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil marks Holy Thursday morning; the vigil at the Cross continues that night. Holy Friday brings the Royal Hours at 9:00 a.m. and the Taking-Down-from-the-Cross Vespers at 3:00 p.m. Great and Holy Saturday culminates with the Paschal Orthros and Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection beginning at 11:00 p.m., followed by the Agape meal in the Community Center. On Pascha itself, the Gospel is read in several languages at Agape Vespers at noon.
Children, Youth, and Greek Education
Sunday School at Holy Cross gathers children after Holy Communion for Orthodox lessons that complement what parents teach at home. The program runs during the school year and includes service projects, processions, and special activities. On Sunday mornings Fr. Daniel Korba also teaches an adult catechetical program, open to Orthodox Christians and to anyone exploring the faith.
Vacation Church School, held the last week of July, is a half-day program for children ages three through entering sixth grade. The week includes daily skits, classroom instruction, religious music, crafts, recreation, snacks, and the assembly of health kits for IOCC. The 2026 Vacation Church School will run July 27 through 31, 9:00 a.m. to noon, with the theme "The Incredible Race."
Youth ministry at the parish follows the four circles of Orthodox youth work: Liturgia (Worship), Koinonia (Fellowship), Diakonia (Service), and Martyria (Witness). JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) gathers younger children; GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America) serves middle and high schoolers with a fall kickoff event and ongoing fellowship. The Young Adult League (YAL) brings together parishioners aged eighteen to thirty-five for social outings and service projects, with events like pickleball evenings scheduled throughout the year. Altar Service welcomes Orthodox Christian boys from second grade and up to serve alongside the older acolytes who lead as captains.
The Greek Dance group, rehearsing after Sunday Liturgy, prepares parish members of all ages to perform at the Greek Food Festival, Glendi, and other events. Greek School, Bible Study, Catechism, and the dance group together form a parallel set of mid-week formation opportunities that anchor parish life for families.
Philoptochos, the Golden Club, and the Women of the Parish
Philoptochos, the women's philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, has a vigorous chapter at Holy Cross. Its name means "friend of mankind," and the chapter supports a wide range of works through philanthropy: aid to the poor, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the widowed, and victims of disasters, along with assistance at the national, metropolis, and parish levels.
The Garden of Love, tended at the entrance to the church, is a living symbol of the beauty of the Philoptochos organization. Donations are received in memory of departed loved ones to support the care of the garden, and the group also runs the Coffee Hour after Sunday Liturgy, where parishioners and visitors gather for fellowship.
The Mary and Martha Women's Fellowship, founded in 1998 as an outreach of Philoptochos, meets monthly from October through May in Orthodox homes around the South Hills. The gatherings are intergenerational and open to anyone, women and men, who wish to learn more about the Orthodox faith from local clergy. There are no dues.
For parishioners aged fifty and older, the Golden Club gathers on the third Tuesday of each month from September through May. Its program mixes spiritual, social, and "lunch, live and learn" outings: church tours, monasteries, concerts, plays, museum visits, and day trips with restaurant stops, supported by three volunteer van drivers. Annual dues are ten dollars.
Reaching Out: From Sandwiches in the Hill District to Clinics in Guatemala
The parish's outreach reaches well beyond its South Hills neighborhood. Each month the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of Greater Pittsburgh, administered through Holy Cross, prepares and delivers 120 lunches to the Neighborhood Resilience Project in Pittsburgh's Hill District. The program, founded at Holy Cross in 1993 in cooperation with the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood, now includes two sandwiches, a beverage, fruit, and a snack per bag.
The Circle of Angels complements the work of the clergy with visits to the infirm and aged, particularly around Christmas and Pascha. Members bake cookies and deliver baskets of sweets, sometimes joined by loaves of bread baked by the Philoptochos ladies. The walk for Missions, an annual 7k held in South Park with the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood, has raised funds for OCMC, orphans in Guatemala, the Fr. Andres Giron Medical and Dental Clinic, and the seminarians of Guatemala.
The Guatemala Mission is the most personal expression of Holy Cross's outreach. Fr. John Chakos and Presvytera Alexandra Chakos have devoted themselves since retirement to the Mayan communities that have been received into the Orthodox Church under Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico. Working with OCMC as a Mission Specialist and field representative for Guatemala, Fr. John oversees the training of indigenous clergy, coordinates mission teams, supports orphans, and supervises the construction and staffing of clinics, including the Fr. Andres Giron Clinic in Aguacate. The parish supports this work through the Holy Cross Mission Fund, which channels donations to the Aguacate Clinic.
Parishioners also support the international work of IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities) and the North American work of FOCUS Pittsburgh, which provides food for children, household items for families, counseling for ex-offenders, bus passes, job training, and healthcare. OCMC, Neighborhood Resilience, and the work of Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage, where Fr. John and Presvytera Alexandra have a long relationship, are likewise named as parish partners.
Stewardship, Endowment, and the Light on the Hill Society
Parish life is supported through an annual Stewardship campaign, managed online through the Realm platform. Stewardship is described at Holy Cross as a love offering, voluntary and without a minimum pledge, encompassing the giving of time, talent, and treasure. Donations may be directed to a wide range of funds, including the Stewardship fund, AGAPE Fund, Building Fund, Memorials, Coffee Hour Sponsorship, altar flowers, the Greek Food Festival, the Golf Tournament, Sunday School, Greek School, the Dance Group, and seasonal offerings for Holy Week, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
The Endowment Fund was created in 2024 as an open-ended mutual fund focused on long-term growth and capital preservation. The Endowment Advisory Board reports annually to the Parish Council and to the General Assembly, and once the endowment reaches $500,000, grants may be requested for ministries, projects, and philanthropy. The Church on the Hill Society recognizes those who have given, plan to give, or are considering a planned gift; the parish has set a goal of seventy-five family commitments by its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2029.
The Clergy
Holy Cross is led by Fr. Michael H. Kallaur, Economos, who serves as Proistaminos (Pastor). A graduate of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Fr. Michael first visited Holy Cross in 1993 as manager of the seminary's Octet and returned in 1996 as Pastoral Assistant to Fr. John Chakos. After serving as priest at Presentation of Christ Church (Ypapanti) in East Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2012, he returned to Holy Cross in October 2012. He and Presbytera Eleni Kallaur are the parents of three sons.
Fr. Daniel Korba, a 1979 graduate of St. Vladimir's Seminary where he studied under Father Alexander Schmemann, has served at Holy Cross as assistant priest since October 1988. Deacon Photios (Frank) Dickos, a 1984 graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, was ordained in 2004 and serves alongside his wife Adrienne. Fr. John Chakos, a Pittsburgh native and 1974 graduate of Holy Cross Seminary in Boston, served as the parish's priest for thirty-one years before retiring in 2011; he now divides his time between Pittsburgh and the Mayan highlands of Guatemala as an OCMC Mission Specialist.
The church office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is closed on major ecclesiastical and civil holidays. Inquiries about the Orthodox Christian Faith or about life at the parish are warmly received, and visitors are invited to approach Fr. Michael or any of the clergy after Sunday services to continue the conversation.