The research was conducted by The University of Michigan-Dearborn Pluralism Project.

History

The Sts. Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church was originally located in the city of Dearborn on Holly Street (in the shadow of the Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant). According to records, the first Romanian to arrive in this area was Mr. Petru (Peter) Calin in 1917. Then, by the late 1920s, approximately 450 families from various regions of Romania came to live and work here, forming into a cultural society in order to retain their heritage and traditions. The church was hit hard by the Great Depression, leading to the repossession of the church building. Dedicated women of the church, however, went door-to-door asking for monthly dues (usually only five or ten cents) and soliciting donations. These efforts were successful and the church became theirs once again.

Aim of the Church

Today, due to the efforts of Fr. Romey Rosco, the church has opened its doors to a large population of immigrants within the community, many of whom have come to America only recently. The parish encourages and helps these new immigrants to adjust and work within American culture by holding periodic English classes and maintaining an assistance fund from which individuals and families are given aid in situations where rent, food or transportation money is needed. When Fr. Rosco first came to the parish, he saw a need to use mostly English in the services, but current condition finds the necessity for an even mix of languages in order to accommodate newly arriving immigrants. With this growing population, the task of attending to the needs of the parish has grown tremendously.

Activities and Services

Sts. Peter and Paul has numerous activities for parishioners, including a very active Sunday school program with a dedicated staff of women and men teaching pre-school through high school classes. Since the early 1990s, they have also offered their program to the Macedonian-Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which happens to be, located right next door to them. The youth group of the parish is also a chapter of the American Romanian Orthodox Youth (www.aroy.org). It has proven to be a fine vehicle for the young people to be directly involved in the life of the Church. The parish choir dates back to the 1960s, and sings traditional Romanian melodies in both the Romanian and English languages. The Ladies Auxiliary and the Men's Club work tirelessly to support the parish with fundraisers when needed.

Romanian Traditions

An ethnic community such as this one, although it emphasizes the need to work its way into American society, recognizes the need to celebrate its heritage. Romanian music and dance programs are a favorite entertainment on special occasions, as well as the preservation of Romanian traditions such as the painting of eggs and the baking of certain traditional foods. The parishioners come together to teach and learn from one another so as not to forget a part of their history.

Orthodox Christian Churches

This church is an active supporter of activities which involve Orthodox Christians of all nationalities (Russian, Greek, Macedonian, etc.). They are an active member of the Council of Orthodox Christian Churches (COCC) of Metropolitan Detroit, regularly volunteering their facilities to projects initiated by the council.