St. Michael’s Orthodox Church served as worship center for many Slavic immigrants.
Orthodox Christians from central and eastern Europe petitioned Archbishop Platon for a priest in Robins back in 1912. In the beginning, worship services were held in the Lodge Hall, which was remodeled and converted into St. Michael’s Greek Orthodox Church.
My grandparents, George and Mary Veselenak – Dede and Baba to me, were active at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church. George Veselenak was president of the United Orthodox Brotherhood of America for over thirty years.
The church sat against a bank in Robins, which is today known as Trail Run. During an Easter service there at midnight on Sunday morning many years ago, the church fell into total darkness. Everyone left the church to follow the priest around the church three times to indicate the three days Jesus stayed in the tomb. Then everyone stepped back inside the church to find it brightly lighted with many white candles. The Resurrection had occurred.
Families gathered to have Easter baskets blessed.
Easter baskets were blessed by the priest and a feast was held for those present to break their fast since Friday. Many had not eaten meat for the duration of Lent. It was a pleasant time as their soul had been filled with the Spirit and their bodies with the blessed food.
The interior of the Greek Orthodox Church, later called Russian Orthodox Church, holds many beautiful paintings, statues, and decorations. The church building is centered around the altar table, The Banquet Table of God. The Book of the Gospels sets on this carved wooden table from which communion is served. Many candles can be found throughout the center of worship.
The altar at St. Michael’s shows the traditional Orthodox cross.
Icons of Christ and the saints play a large role in describing the reality of God’s presence with us. They can be found on the royal gate, over the doors, around the central gates, on walls and ceilings.
The cross is the central symbol for Christianity. The Orthodox make the Sign of the Cross by placing their first two fingers and thumb together to signify the Triune God. Then cross themselves from head to breast and from shoulder to shoulder. This is done several times during their services.
This ribbon badge has two sides. The red, gold and blue side was worn for all church services, while the black side was used for funerals. This badge belonged to Dede.
Incense is the symbol of the rising of prayers, of spiritual sacrifice and of the sweet-smelling fragrance of the Kingdom of God. The priest frequently swings his censor of incense over the altar area as well as the entire congregation as a blessing.
Mom framed this prayer cloth that belonged to Baba.
Since services remain much the same from week to week, parishioners know the hymns and prayers easily as their chant is very repetitious. No organ or instruments are used as all words are from scripture or ancient Christian texts. Orthodox people generally stand for the entire service.
This picture taken in 1914 shows the size of the first children’s class at St. Michael’s.
St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in Robins had a large attendance, and children were well behaved. There was no nursery so children learned to stand quietly for the entire service. In its early years, services were conducted in Slovak, however, today English prevails.
Land for the church cemetery, now known as Robins Cemetery or Trail Run Cemetery, was purchased on the hill across the road from the church in 1918. The Bethlehem Cemetery is in Lower Trail Run. About twenty years later, the “R” Club (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America) was established.
This is an overview of Robins with the Orthodox Church seen on the back right.
The parish home in Robins, burned down on two separate occasions. The first time in 1939 when it was rebuilt with lumber from vacated houses after the mines had closed. After the second fire in 1958, parishioners decided to rebuilt in Byesville, OH and purchased land for a future church building.
Christ the Savior Orthodox Church celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2017.
In December of 1966, the first service was held in the new building in Byesville, where the church was called Christ the Savior Orthodox Church. Today this church is the only Orthodox Church in southeastern Ohio and covers an area from Columbus to the Ohio River and as far north as Canton. They celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.
Their church bulletin states: “May God reward your good deeds and preserve the spirit of devotion to Him every day of the year.”
Gypsy Road Trip 
Comments on: "St. Michael’s Greek Orthodox Church" (5)
In the town I grew up in had a beautiful Greek Orthodox church! Although I was raised Catholic, my father wanted me to learn about all the religions so i could make up my own mind when I turned 18.
You certainly had a wise father in so many ways.
I
I drove from NY to St Michael’s Cemetery in Trail Run yesterday to visit the grave of my Grandparents, Andrew and Mary Hadbavny. They lived in Trail Run in the early 1900s and my mother and her three siblings were born there. I was last there for my grandmothers funeral in 1975. Family lore says that her husband Andrew (a coal miner) died in the 1900s flu pandemic. My mother’s sister Mary married George Veselenak, who I knew as “Uncle Lefty” or Uncle George. He must have been the son of the George in your photo. My grandmother spoke no English later and lived in Byesville next to Veselenaks. The tiny cemetery is not easy to find but is lovely, on a knoll in the woods, and is well maintained.
Thanks for sharing your story. Your Uncle Lefty was my Uncle Lefty too as he was my mom’s brother. He was indeed the son of the George in the photo. I don’t recall my Grandmother, Baba, speaking any English. Grandpa, Dede, spoke broken English as he ran a small grocery store on 9th Street in Byesville. When I was about three or four, Uncle Lefty and Aunt Mary went to Cleveland for a while and I lived in their house with my parents for close to a year. I remember the well out back where we pulled up the water in a bucket! Mom liked being there as it was a close walk to her parents just two blocks away. Thanks for the memories. I’ll share them with my cousins. We sometimes have our monthly Cousins Night at Terry’s Pizza, which is owned by Uncle Lefty’s youngest son, Terry.