Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Merrillville, Indiana)
| Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church | |
|---|---|
Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church | |
| 41°27′07″N 87°18′53″W / 41.4519°N 87.3147°W | |
| Location | 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Serbian Orthodox Church |
| Website | saintsava |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Dedication | Saint Sava |
| Consecrated | May 18, 1991 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Milojko Perišić Radovan Pejović |
| Architectural type | Byzantine Style |
| Years built | 1985-1991 |
| Groundbreaking | July 31, 1985 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 400 seats |
| Length | Overall 376 feet (115 m) |
| Nave length | 100 feet (30 m) |
| Nave width | 60 feet (18 m) |
| Height | Cross on the center cupola rests 97 feet (30 m) above the ground |
| Number of domes | 5 |
| Materials | American steel, Indiana limestone, and Appalachian oak wood |
| Bells | Located in the western cupola |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern America |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop | Longin Krčo |
| Priest | Stavrofor Marko Matić |
| Laity | |
| Music group(s) | Karageorge Choir, Saint Sava Church Children's Choir |
The Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian: Српска православна црква Светог Саве, romanized: Srpska pravoslavna crkva Svetog Save) is an Eastern Orthodox church originally located in Gary, Indiana, and since the consecration of the new church building in 1991 in Merrillville, Indiana. It is under jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church and is dedicated to Saint Sava, the first Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is the "church-school congregation" - the term generally used by Serbs in place of "parish", a word that carries historical associations with Catholic or Protestant ecclesiastical structures.
The Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church is where Saint Varnava, the first American-born Serb to be proclaimed an Orthodox saint, was baptized and served as an altar boy.
It is recognized as being among "10 Beautiful Region Cathedrals and Churches" in Northwest Indiana and one of the Midwest's oldest parishes, founded by early Serbian settlers in the United States seeking to establish their local community with the building of a church to help maintain their traditional customs. It is among the churches in the Northwest Indiana region that enjoy the status of institutional landmarks.
Owing to its religious and ethnic importance to Serbian Americans, it is nicknamed the "Srpska Gera."