St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church, Merrillville, IN, was established in 1914 in Gary, IN. Divine Liturgy Sundays 10am, Fr. Marko Matic officiating. Liturgical responses by Karageorge Choir. Sunday School starts after Holy Communion (around 11:15) until 12:15. Serbian School will be incorporated into Sunday School. Vespers served Tuesdays and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Join us, everyone welcome! Folklore dance group and choir always accepting new members. Attend Sunday Luncheons after Liturgy, hosted by families or organizations, serving delicious homemade food and desserts.
South Wing SOCIAL CENTER NOW AVAILABLE for hosting social events, newly renovated and tastefully decorated. Showers, graduation parties, business meetings, Skup Svatova, wedding receptions, baptisms, birthdays, and retirements can all be accommodated. For more info, call (219)736-9191.
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Saturday: closed
Sunday: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Video - 97th Anniversary Memorial Service
St. Sava Church celebrated it's 97th Anniversary on Sunday, November 13, 2011. After Divine Liturgy, the procession of the faithful proceeded to the south lawn, where Father Marko held a memorial service for all departed church members and members of the military. Executive Board President Dennis Svilar and guest speaker Ljubisa Milicich laid wreaths at both memorial monuments. Once again, we dealt with the cold wind and gray skies.
Soloist and choir director Kathy Baroevich sings "Kol Slaven".
0 Comment(s)97th Anniversary Banquet Photo Slideshow
St. Sava Church parishioners celebrated 97 glorious years on Sunday, November13 at St. Elijah's Hall, where we were treated to a fantastic meal. Srbadija Folklore dancers proudly performed lively traditional Serbian dances. Alex Djordjevic recited the long, difficult poem "Ratsko" enhanced by the vocals of singers Maja Radjenovich, Rachel Gerbick, and Savka Popovich, accompanied and instructed by Joanne Samardzija. Several children recited poetry and read short historical stories presented in both Serbian and English languages, reassuring us of a future generation of church leaders. This extended program was a surprise to many of us, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Many Thanks to the children and parents who encourage them!
Keynote speaker Ljubisa Milicich gave an entertaining reflection of growing up among us in the Gary church, also reminding us of the reason we need to re-connect with the homeland. Executive Board president Dennis Svilar presented Ljubisa with a commemorate plaque to mark the occasion.
97 Glorious Years! Celebrate St. Sava's Anniversary Sunday, November 13
On behalf of the St. Sava Executive Board and Father Marko Matic, you are cordially invited to attend our church congregation's 97th Anniversary Celebration.
10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy and Parastos
Laying of Memorial Wreath at the Monument
12:30 p.m. Anniversary Banquet & Program at St. Elijah Hall
(Featuring St. Sava Srbadija Folklore, SSS Karageorge, Guest Speaker Address)
We are pleased to have Louis-Ljubisa Milicich as our keynote speaker for the 97th Anniversary celebration of St. Sava Parish.
Ljubisa is the son of one of our parish's pioneers, the late Marko Milicich (1891-1979), and the long-time officer and past President of our Circle of Serbian Sisters, the late Jelena (Perisic) Milicich (1935-2005), who both hailed from the Niksic region of what is today the Republic of Montenegro.
Ljubisa was born in Gary in September 1959 and baptized/christmated at St. Sava Church by Protojerej-stavrofor Dusan Sukletovic in January 1960.
Ljubisa was a St. Sava Church School Student (both Saturday Serbian classes and Sunday Orthodox classes). He was Head Altar Boy as a teen and was tonsured a Reader/Ctec at St. Sava Church by +Metropolitan Irinej (Kovacevich) in November 1976.
Louis attended Franklin Elementary School and Bailey Junior High School and graduated from Lew Wallace High School in 1977 (Honor Society President; Verna Hoke Award; Tennis Letterman). Louis graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston/Chicago, Illinois. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Honors (1981), a Bachelor of Science in Communications Studies (1981) and his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law (1984).
Louis is an international transactions lawyer and is the Head of the Central and Eastern Europe and the Southeastern Europe Desk of the global law firm SNR Denton. He is based in Chicago, but spends most of his time in the CEE/SEE region and in the SNR Denton offices in Washington, New York, London and Moscow. From 2006-2010, he was based in Vienna, Austria, Bratislava, Slovakia and Belgrade, Serbia. Earlier in his legal career, Louis was a Partner in the US law firm Jenner & Block.
Ljubisa was a member of our St. Sava Church Executive Board, a member of the Church Building Committee and was a delegate of our Parish to the Diocesan Church-National Assembly in 1985. He was a member of the Diocesan Council (US-Canada Diocese1985-1991; New Gracanica USC Diocese 1993-1999; Midwest Diocese 2003-2006) and has acted as an advisor both to +Metropolitan Irinej and to Bishop Longin. He was the chair of the Parish Trusteeship of St. Basil of Ostrog Mission Parish in Lake Forest-Mettawa, Illinois (1997-2008). He is a Consultant to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Christian Bishops in North and Central America.
Ljubisa was a National Vice President of both the Serbian National Defense Council of America (1993-1998) and the Serb National Federation (1999-2003). He is a Past President and Officer of the Serbian Bar Association of America. He is a founding member of the Belgrade Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities program.
Louis is married to Marya (Savich), the daughter of the late Protojerej-stavrofor Milan and the late Protinica Constance (Vuckovich) Savich and they reside in Lake Forest, Illinois. Marya is a lawyer with Travelers Insurance and the choir director of Bishop Longin's Episcopal Choir at New Gracanica Monastery.
(Photos courtesy of Darlene Sever)
