Serbian Orthodox Center to be Built in Northeast Ohio

January 22, 2000

Source: The Plain Dealer

On January 22, 2000, The Plain Dealer reported that a Serbian Orthodox religious center will be built in Richfield Township, Ohio. There is currently only a small religious center in the area, the Chapel of the Holy Archangel Gabriel, at the Serbian Orthodox Monastery Marcha in Summit County. The monastery is run by two nuns, Mother Ana and Sister Anastasia, who are two of only eight Serbian Christian Orthodox nuns in the United States. The two women support themselves financially through candle making, baking, and contributions from other Orthodox who honor their work. Bishop Sava of Sumadija of Serbia, a former resident of the monastery, bought 88 acres in 1969 in Richfield Township for the purpose of establishing a religious center. Serbian-Americans in Northeast Ohio have raised $290,000 to build a substantial chapel and ground will be broken in the spring of 2000. Nicholas Borato of Bay Village, OH, chairman of the fund drive, notes that $210,000 are still needed to see the project through to completion, but he is confident. Borato stated: "The Orthodox need a place of serenity to commune with God. People of all faiths can drop by if they like to explore their relations with God. And the monastic setting is never ending."