NWI Obilic Legends Soccer of St. Sava will be playing a home game Sunday, June 12, 2016 that will take place at the Crown Point Sports Complex on turf fields beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Admission is free to the games and donations are welcome to help support the team. For more information about the team and upcoming home and away games, please contact Milan Marinkovich at milan146307@gmail.com.
Learn more about NWI Obilic Legends Soccer at www.saintsava.net/soccer.
You can enjoy lamb and pig slowly roasted on the spit, old country style, made by people who have been passing down the art of spit roasting from generation to generation at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, Indiana.
Barbeque lamb and pig sales will take place every Sunday beginning at 11:00 a.m. from June 5 through August 28 on a first come, first served basis unless you submit and pay for a pre-order online. Price per pound is $12 for pig and $15 for lamb.
Pre-orders will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. each Wednesday for pick-up on the immediately following Sunday.
To pre-order, simply select the quantity for the number of pounds you wish to purchase and follow the online steps to pay for your order online with debit or credit card. Each quantity you add to your online shopping bag is equal to 1 lb.
You will receive a confirmation receipt in your e-mail. Print the e-mail receipt and bring it with you, along with your identification (such as a driver’s license) when you pick up your order.
Your order will be cooked, packed, and ready to eat when you pick up your order on Sunday beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Both walk-up orders while supplies last and pre-order pick ups will take place at 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410 in the outdoor kitchen area at the north end of the Pavilion, located behind the main church building complex.
Call the Church Office at 219-736-9191 with any questions during regular business hours for more information.
Lamb Pre-order
Pig Pre-order
St. Sava in Merrillville, Indiana will be hosting thousands of guests during Serb Fest 2016 taking place August 5, 6, & 7 which means volunteer help will be critical for making this annual tradition a success.
Members, families, and friends of St. Sava Church will find it easier to lend support and choose specific times to offer volunteer service at Serb Fest 2016 with access to the new online volunteer sign-up process now available at https://www.saintsava.net/volunteer on the St. Sava website.
To sign-up for volunteering, the process is simple:
You are able to sign-up for as many volunteer time slots as you wish. Ideally most volunteers will repeat the above process and sign-up for multiple volunteer options, for as much as time permits.
Volunteers will receive reminder e-mails the week before and a couple of days before they have to volunteer. Phone numbers and e-mails will only be available to the team leaders of the various volunteer opportunities so they may notify volunteers of any updates or changes to schedules.
For questions about the online sign-up process, please e-mail christopher.kosovich@saintsava.net. For general questions about Serb Fest 2016 please send e-mail to ray.radjenovich@saintsava.net or vlade.stevanovic@saintsava.net.
You are invited to join the dozens of people that have been showing up each week to celebrate the cultural and healthy exercise benefits associated with traditional Serbian Folklore Dance at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, Indiana.
The Adult Folklore Dance Sessions meet each Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the South Wing Social Center at the church learning new dances, getting a dose of exercise, and simply having fun.
The open group formed earlier this year at St. Sava seeking to gather people interested in learning traditional Serbian Kolo dances and to just have fun. The group welcomes those with no previous dancing experience from the greater Northwest Indiana community along with people who learned the traditional dances growing up in youth folklore groups and want to keep dancing with friends in an adult environment.
Everyone is welcome to attend – men and women, members of St. Sava, members of other churches throughout Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland, and anyone in the community who simply wants to learn about the culture and the fun, circle dance called the Kolo (no more sitting on the sidelines during Serb Fest 2016 which takes place August 5, 6, and 7 – you will be dancing like a pro by the time the fest rolls around – www.serbfest.org).
The dance sessions each Monday evening start at 7:00 p.m. and end by 9:00 p.m. Each session begins with some general dance instruction and review for dances that are commonly performed at various Serbian festivals and celebrations. The second half of the session focuses on more structured types of folklore dances. All of the instruction is provided by Miloš Drljević Djakovac, the dance instructor for St. Sava’s youth folklore group named Srbadija.
The focus of the dance sessions is to have fun, so don’t worry if you don’t have traditional Serbian “opanke” dance shoes in your closet. Wear your tennis shoes and comfortable clothes because dancing the kolo can be a serious workout!
Magda Serdar, organizer of the dance sessions, explained her reasons for wanting to help form such a group. “I just love folklore. You are never too old to dance. A lot of people have talked about forming such a group and there are so many people who have danced in the past when younger, now is the time to do it,” Serdar said.
Dance sessions begin at 7:00 p.m. Monday evenings at St. Sava and take place in either the South Wing Social Center or the Pavilion, depending on group size and room availability. A small fee of $5 per week will be collected and used to support the church, children’s folklore, and children’s choir.
For more questions or more information, please call Magda Serdar at (440) 954-2039.
Please join us beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the morning Saturday, June 4 near the Pavilion garage areas at St. Sava Church in Merrillville, Indiana for activities relating to facilities and grounds clean-up as part of the annual spring cleaning.
The major goals of the morning will be to:
The work will go more quickly with many hands. If you are able to join us to help clean-up, please bring any personal tools that could be helpful in the process – weed trimmers, gloves, shovels, trucks….all could be used!
When arriving to help and volunteer, please begin at the Pavilion garage area and look for Danica Pejnovic, Vlade Stefanovic, Ray Radjenovich, or Steve Baroevich to find out where you can begin to help.
The first of two “Early Bird Drawings” for the Serb Fest Annual Cash Raffle will take place June 5, 2016 with the winner taking home $1,000. This first “Early Bird Drawing” will take place at 1:00 p.m. in the South Wing of St. Sava Church.
Tickets are available through multiple volunteer ticket sellers associated with the church. You can call ahead to the Church Office at 219-736-9191 if you would like to pick-up a ticket during regular office hours Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
You can also call Raffle Committee Leaders Mike Jaksich at 219-880-6307 or David Gerbick at 219-588-3604 to arrange to pick-up your tickets. Again, tickets are also available from other ticket sellers associated with the church.
This “Early Bird Drawing” is one of 18 total prizes in the annual raffle where a grand prize winner, chosen the last day of the Serb Fest, takes home $25,000.
Early Bird Winners are still eligible for the final drawing which will take place the last day of the Serb Fest, Sunday, August 7, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.
There are only 1,000 tickets sold for the entire raffle. Tickets are a $100 donation and the winner need not be present.
A second Early Bird Winner will be selected July 17, 2016 where another lucky “Early Bird” will take home $1,000 as well.
The St. Sava Serb Fest will take place Friday, August 5 through Sunday, August 7 at the St. Sava Church and Pavilion, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.
Learn more about Serb Fest 2016 by visiting www.serbfest.org and join us to celebrate at St. Sava in Merrillville, Indiana!
The Serb Fest Cash Raffle is organized by St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Indiana Gaming Commission license number 140666. The license is on file with the Church Office.
All proceeds from the banquet will benefit ongoing reconstruction projects for The Sisterhood of the Nativity of the Mother of God Serbian Orthodox Monastery of New Carlisle, Indiana. Please attend to give support for this spiritual oasis.
The banquet will take place at Halls of St. George, Schererville, Indiana beginning at noon. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Please share news of this important fundraising event with friends and family.
It’s all about fun and fellowship at the 3rd Annual Potato Creek Outing taking place Saturday, June 11 at Potato Creek State Park near South Bend with the youth folklore group Srbadija of St. Sava Church of Merrillville, Indiana playing the host.
The event is open to any youth at St. Sava, friends, and family, or anyone in the Northwest Indiana or Chicagoland region with young people looking for a fun start to the summer vacation. Everyone is welcome so please share this information! This is a great opportunity to learn more about the youth activities available at St. Sava Church in a fun and relaxing environment.
Srbadija Folklore will be providing grilling tools and charcoal for the grill at the shelter. As in years past, please bring food and games to share.
There will be opportunity to go boating and spend time at the beach so bring please remember towels, sunscreen, bathing suits, blankets and chairs. Bug spray might be a good idea too. Activities begin as early as 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time and the shelter is reserved until 11:00 p.m. so we can stay and build a fire/roast marshmallows as well. Feel free to come at any time during the day – stay for part of the day or stay all day and into the night!
For more information, please contact Karen Knezic at karen.knezic@saintsava.net or call her at 219-406-7910 if you need to contact her during the the event June 11.
For more information about Potato Creek State Park, please visit http://www.stateparks.com/ potato_creek_state_park_in_ indiana.html
The Clergy, Executive Board, and Members of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church express condolences to the family of Rose Mary Vrtikapa. Memory eternal.
Rose Mary (Polizzotto) Vrtikapa (November 15, 1925 – May 27, 2016), age 90, of Merrillville, IN passed away Friday, May 27th 2016.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Emanuele and Rose Polizzotto, her daughters Karen and Susan Vrtikapa and sisters Frances (late Dale) Erickson of Valparaiso, IN and Sara (Ed) Beladela of Hobart, IN. She is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, Richard Vrtikapa, daughters Kathy (Jay) Friedlander of Carmel, IN , Nancy (Tom) Allesee of Palm Coast, FL and her 5 grandchildren Susan, Michael and Karen Friedlander and Taylor and Tyler Allesee, sisters Ann (late Kalman) Geleta, Sandra Jo (late Russell) Maranto, and Barbara (Jim) Shinovich, and many nieces and nephews.
Rose Mary, was a graduate of Froebel High School in Gary, IN where she was given the nickname, Polly. She was known for her famous spaghetti sauce, homemade Italian sausage and ziljanica. She was a founding member of the Indiana Chapter of Children’s Research Foundation, and a member of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, St. Sava Serbian Sisters, and supporting member of Karageorge Choir and St. Sava Historical Society. She retired from JCPenney drapery workroom, and Associates Loan Company in Gary, and volunteered at St. Sava Bingo.
She was loved by her grandchildren, close family and many life-long friends and will be greatly missed.
Visitation will take place at Calumet Park Funeral Chapel, 7535 Taft St., Merrillville, IN on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a Pomen by Fr. Marko Matic at 6:30pm.
Funeral services will take place at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 2, 2016 DIRECTLY at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Merrillville, IN.
Interment Calumet Park Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Rose Mary’s name may be made to St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church or Children’s Research Foundation, P.O. Box 205, Clarendon Hills, IL 60514.
Arrangements entrusted with Savich and Semplinski Funeral Directors at Calumet Park Funeral Chapel. For info please call 219-736-5840.
See more at: http://www.mycalumetpark.com/obituaries/Rose-Vrtikapa
Registration for Summer Camp 2016 at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, Indiana is still open and the registration deadline is Wednesday, June 1 so now is a great time to download the registration form and get it submitted before it is too late.
The summer day camp will take place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday beginning the week of June 13, 2016. Monday and Wednesday will feature fun activities at St. Sava Church in Merrillville and Friday will be a special day of activities at Lemon Lake Park in Crown Point (6322 West 133rd Avenue, Crown Point, IN 46307).
Children may come for all three days of the camp or only for specific days as noted at time of registration.
The camp is open to ALL children throughout the greater Northwest Indiana and Chicago area communities regardless of religious background. Whether you go to church every Sunday or have never seen the inside of a church, all children are welcome at the St. Sava Summer Camp in Merrillville, Indiana.
Registration is required before June 1 and the form is be available for download from the church website along with news updates about the camp that will be available at www.saintsava.net/blog through the registration deadline.
There is no charge for this camp, but donations are greatly appreciated.
Each day of camp will be hosted by different organizations of the church with special activities planned for each day.
The camp drop-off and pick-up Monday and Wednesday will take place at St. Sava Church in Merrillville, IN. Friday will be a field day with the day extended to 4 p.m. at Lemon Lake Park in Crown Point, IN (6322 West 133rd Avenue, Crown Point, IN 46307).
The camp is looking for high school and college students to work as chaperones. Please e-mail karen.knezic@saintsava.net to volunteer or request more information.
Visit the St. Sava Merrillville Summer Camp 2016 Facebook Event Page for more information.