Archangel Michael Orthodox Church celebrated its 100th anniversary milestone in 2022. Established in the 1920s, the church has been an iconic landmark for the Orthodox community of the Cleveland, Ohio area and has served as a spiritual home for generations of believers. The church has witnessed significant growth and development over the past century, and its centennial celebration held in November was a momentous occasion. With a rich history and a strong commitment to the traditional teachings of Orthodox Christianity, Archangel Michael Orthodox Church will continue to serve the Greater Cleveland area for many years to come.
History of Our Parish • This video debuted at our Centennial celebration and offers a glimpse of the work our community offers.
Centennial Recap • This video is a recap of our Centennial celebration with Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada, Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Midwest, and visiting clergy and faithful.
Our Clergy, Choir Directors and Presidents
Many faithful have served our community over the last 100 years.
A Timeline of Our Parish’s Story
Our parish’s timeline is a beautiful story of growth, perseverance, and faith. It’s a testament to the power of a community coming together to achieve great things. From our humble beginnings to where we stand today, let’s remember all the hard work, sacrifice, and dedication that have brought us this far. As we reflect on the past, let’s also look forward to all the wonderful ways our parish will continue to flourish. Let’s commit ourselves to living our lives with love, kindness, and generosity, as we strive to make a positive impact in our community. Together, we can create a bright and inspiring future for all those who call our parish home.
The 1920s
Due to the Communist Revolution by the Bolshevik leaders, large groups of immigrants migrated from Russia, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia and other Slavic lands shortly after the turn of the century. These immigrants poured into the Cleveland area looking for work in the steel mills, clothing factories and in a thriving coastal...
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1930s
On August 2, 1933, the Reverend Fr. Vladimir Prislopsky was assigned to the parish and shepherded his flock for 37 years. During his tenure the parish developed, flourished and expanded to become one of the three largest parishes in America.
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1940s
In 1941, only eight years after Fr. Prislopsky arrived at a financially strapped church, the mortgage was burned. World War II influenced our priorities. Many of our young men were called to serve.
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1950s
Many church clubs were important, including the Junior and Senior “R” Clubs, St. Michael’s Men’s Club and the Junior Women’s Club. Sunday School began in 1952 with a large enrollment in both primary and junior divisions.
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1960s
Realizing the size of his congregation (well over 1200 souls), and the fact that the younger generation was moving out of the old neighborhoods and into the suburbs, Fr. Prislopsky guided St. Michael’s in the building of a “sister” parish in Maple Heights which was dedicated to the First-Called Apostle...
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1970s
After devoting his life to the Orthodox faith, delivering a young parish from financial difficulty, engaging the men and women of the parish in spiritual growth, and creating a love of the church in the youth of the parish, Fr. Vladimir Prislopsky fell asleep in the Lord on September 23,...
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1980s
The newer generations continued the work of their forefathers, paying off the church mortgage in 1981. We adopted the revised Julian calendar, which changed the way we celebrated Church feast days.
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 1990s
After Father Nicholas Gobora left the parish in 1995, we welcomed our new pastor, Reverend John Memorich, and his family in 1996. Father John, a native of Minneapolis, came to St. Michael’s after a seven-year pastorate in the small farming community of Clayton, Wisconsin
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 2000s
The new millennium brought extraordinary changes with it. John D. Ressetar, who had served as music director for more than 40 years until his retirement in June 2001, fell asleep in the Lord at home on February 15, 2002. Ted Geletka was hired to direct our choir in 2002.
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 2010s
At the beginning of this decade, we welcomed Father Joseph McCartney and his family as our new associate pastor in 2010. He assisted Father John with the parish responsibilities for four years until his transfer to Saints Peter and Paul Church in Lorain in 2015.
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023The 2020s
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Houses of worship around the country and world began to shut their doors to large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. In order to continue to serve the spiritual needs of our community, more than $35,000...
Keep ReadingJune 10, 2023