The Serbian Orthodox community in Ohio gathered at New Marcha Monastery in Richfield on October 27 to celebrate Saint Petka and mark the beginning of a new pavilion project, bringing together worshippers, clergy and community supporters.
The celebration took place at the Holy Archangel Gabriel Monastery, where Bishop Irinej of Washington-New York and Eastern America led the Divine Liturgy in honor of Saint Petka, also known as Venerable Mother Paraskeva.
According to the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America, faithful from several Orthodox communities attended the celebration, which combined religious traditions with an important milestone for the monastery.
A Celebration of Faith and Serbian Heritage
The day’s program began with a solemn Divine Liturgy attended by clergy from the Serbian Orthodox Church and other Orthodox jurisdictions.
Church singers from the Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas joined the monastery choir under the direction of Professor Nikola Resanovich.
Bishop Irinej delivered a sermon in Serbian and English, reflecting the monastery’s connection to both its Serbian heritage and the wider American community.
The celebration also included the traditional Slava ceremony, honoring Saint Petka, the patron saint of Abbess Paraskeva Milosavljevic.
Following the service, clergy and worshippers gathered outside for the blessing of the site where the new pavilion is planned.
Bishop Irinej blessed the ground and ceremonially turned the first shovels of soil, followed by Abbess Paraskeva, the project’s architect and members of the community.
New Pavilion Marks Another Step for the Monastery
The planned pavilion, dedicated to Saint Petka, was designed by architect Lazar Noel Cupkovic, a longtime supporter of New Marcha Monastery.
Cupkovic previously contributed his architectural expertise to the monastery church and cemetery.
His family also has historical ties to Serbian Orthodox life in Ohio. His grandfather, Lazar Kalinich, chaired the building committee responsible for Saint Sava Cathedral in Cleveland.
Representatives of the Federation of Circles of Serbian Sisters of the Eastern American Diocese participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.
Among them were federation president Millie Radovick and first vice president DeeDee Baskot.
The ceremony also included the presentation of a carved wooden cross to the monastery, along with a copy of an icon of the Three-Handed Mother of God brought from Saint Sava Monastery in Australia.
The celebration concluded with a communal meal prepared by the Saint Petka Circle of Serbian Sisters from the Holy Archangel Michael Parish in Akron, Ohio.
The groundbreaking represents a new stage in the monastery’s development, although a construction completion date has not been announced.
For the Serbian Orthodox community in Ohio, the occasion brought together religious observance, volunteer contributions and the continued preservation of traditions across generations.
