Buffalo's Oldest Orthodox Christian Church Celebrates 125th Anniversary

By: Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church
 
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Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Buffalo, NY
Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Buffalo, NY
BUFFALO, N.Y. - June 18, 2019 - PRLog -- Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding on June 28-29, 2019. It was started by eight individuals back in 1894 to establish an Orthodox Church in Buffalo, NY. A fund of $59 in cash and $253 in pledges was set up to construct a church. The parish purchased a property at 45 Ideal Street for $2,160.00, and by the end of 1895, a small wooden church rose on the site. At the time the cost of the lumber to build the church was about $300 while the members of the parish built the church on their own.

From the time of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia through the years following the Second World War, the parish experienced a surge of membership. Many families and individuals escaping the horrors of wars in Europe amid uncertainty for their future have found a spiritual home at Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church. In 1933, the consecration of a magnificent new church building took place with several thousand in attendance.

The church's membership began to decline at the end of the 1960s, paralleling the decline of the population of the city of Buffalo itself. By early 2000s the future of the parish became increasingly uncertain. However, in May of 2010, with the arrival of Archbishop Michael (Dahulich) as the new bishop of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey and with renewed efforts of revitalizing the parishes in the diocese, the community of Saints Pete rand Paul has turned a new page. In August of 2011, through the initiative of Archbishop Michael and support of the diocese, "Operation Buffalo" was conducted to prepare the rectory for the arrival of the new rector, Father Volodymyr Zablotskyy.

"Approaching this milestone of our beloved parish, one can only be filled with the sense of wonder about how God sustained this community as it went through the thick and thin of its history. Today, once again our parish is becoming a beacon Orthodox Christian faith and a home to those seeking authentic life in Christ through worship and Christian living," - said Father Volodymyr.

The celebration of 125th Anniversary of Saints Peter and Paul will begin with Vespers on June 28, 2019, at 6:00 pm, followed by a reception in the parish hall. The following day, June 29, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:30 am, followed by a banquet lunch at the Creekside Banquet Facility. All desiring to attend the festivities are asked to RSVP on the church's website.

To commemorate this milestone the parish will be publishing the 125th Anniversary Book. Please consider joining us in celebrating this milestone and become one of our benefactors by dedicating a page or portion of a page in our 125th Anniversary Book.

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Source:Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church
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