St. Nicholas Church, Kenosha, WI, celebrates 100th anniversary
KENOSHA, WI [MW Diocese Communications] — His Grace, Bishop Matthias, presided at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Saint Nicholas Church here on the weekend of June 9-10, 2012.
The weekend opened with the celebration of Great Vespers followed by an ethnic pot luck picnic on the parish grounds on Saturday evening.
During the Sunday Divine Liturgy, Bishop Matthias bestowed a gold pectoral cross upon Priest Stephen Hrycyniak, rector, in recognition of his devoted service to the parish. He also presented a gramota to the parish’s starosta, Igor Koschyk, for his dedication to the parish.
During the gala banquet that followed at the Kenosha Country Club, parish brotherhood president John Bashinsky offered the opening toast, followed by presentations by Priest Herman Kincaid, Dean of the Chicago Deanery, and the state senator and assemblyman. Holy Trinity Sisterhood coordinated a raffle, while Milwaukee’s Kavkaz dancers delighted the audience with a selection of Russian songs and dances.
A highlight of the weekend was the presentation of a check for $1,000.00 on behalf of the parish to Bishop Matthias for the Diocesan Seminarian fund.
Saint Nicholas parish was established by immigrants from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia in 1912. The formation of a strong brotherhood began the process of building an Orthodox Christian witness in Kenosha, Racine and Northern Lake Counties. A building program was initiated soon thereafter, resulting in the erection of the parish’s stately temple. Under the leadership of the current rector, Father Stephen, the parish serves an increasingly diverse community and has become highly active in local ministries.
A selection of photos from the anniversary weekend may be viewed here.
