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The first Orthodox Christians to arrive from Greece in hopes of a new life in the Lehigh Valley came to Bethlehem in 1911, opening restaurants or working at Bethlehem Steel. By 1916 these immigrants, realizing the need and importance of maintaining their faith and culture, purchased the former St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church at 1224 East Fourth Street, on the South Side of Bethlehem. From its founding in 1916 until 1955, this church served the Greek Orthodox population.