NEWS AND EVENTS - Monday, October 9, 2017
HALF A CENTURY OF THE ST. STEPHEN OF DECHANI CHURCH IN COLUMBUS
On Sunday, September 24, 2017 the St. Stephen of Dechani parish in Columbus, Ohio celebrated their 50th anniversary.
We reminded ourselves through prayer and a cultural program of our past, and with the blessing of the newly built pavilion “Serbian Home” we thanked God for all good things with which He has blessed us, and with the groundbreaking of the new chapel to be dedicated to St. Nikolaj of Zicha and Ohrid we receive a foretaste of the future. His Grace Bishop Irinej of Eastern America officiated at the Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.
Concelebrating were V. Rev. Dragan Goronjic, dean of the Cleveland Deanery and parish priest in Youngstown, Protodeacon Dr. Jovan Anicic, Fr. Nikolai Pravitsky from the Russian Orthodox Church in Cleveland and the parish priest V. Rev. Isak Kisin. Deacon Joseph Shaluha from the St. George OCA parish in Columbus sang with the church choir. Twelve altar boys and the clergy were all adorned in festive, blue robes and vestments.
During the Divine Liturgy His Grace elevated Protonamesnik Isak Kisin to the rank of Protopresbyter. After the reading of the gospel Bishop Irinej addressed the faithful people with an inspiring homily. Speaking on the gospel reading of the talents, the Bishop emphasized that the Lord never gives talents in vain or of no use. “Each gift from God has its purpose, goal and aim and it is up to us to decide if we are and how we are to use those gifts; for the general good and for the salvation of our souls or will we hide these talents, bury them like that ‘evil and lazy servant’ from the gospel story”, the bishop said.
During the Divine Liturgy the clergy and faithful processed to the newly built pavilion “Serbian Home” where this beautiful structure was blessed. The pavilion “Serbian Home” was modeled after traditional Serbian homes built on four waters with the characteristic semicircular arches. Naturally, every region in Serbia has its own style, but the aim was to find and stress one common thread, a common line and that it be emphasized and in this manner display the traditional Serbian home.
After the blessing of the pavilion the procession continued to the spot designated for the construction of the chapel. The chapel will be dedicated to St. Bishop Nikolai of Zicha and Ohrid, and will be modeled after the chapel of Bishop Njegos on Lovcen. The faithful were pleased when His Grace Bishop Irinej announced that His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije will send a stone from the original chapel for the replica chapel in Columbus. It should be noted that this will be, God willing, the first replica of the Lovcen chapel in America and in the diaspora. Fr. Isak Kisin came to the idea of building a replica Lovcen chapel in Columbus after a visit to Montenegro a few years ago, which was enthusiastically received by the faithful.
After the blessing the antidoron was distributed after which everyone proceeded to the large tent. During the luncheon the Church School children, led by teacher Protinica Dejana Kisin, performed a program. Afterward His Grace Bishop Irinej awarded those deserving parishioners with the Episcopal Citation, Gramata, for their work at St. Stephan of Dechani parish in Columbus, Ohio.