Wonderful, hard-working, devoted, loving, talented, inspiring......there aren't enough adjectives to describe our ladies of St. Sava's Serbian Sisters Circle. Once again they celebrated their Slava, St. Petka Paraskeva, with a solemn memorial service as Fr. Marko read the names of hundreds of deceased Kolo members that have passed throughout the years. Every year our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and Kumovi are remembered in our prayers. The Kolo Sisters are the backbone of our church, and we all acknowledge the fact that we could not exist without them. The Djordjevic family and Sisters from New Carlisle also celebrated their Slava that day. After Divine Liturgy, the ladies treated us to a delicious meal served by young folklore dancers and future Kolo leaders. A new framed photo tribute to past Kolo presidents was unveiled and will now be permanently displayed in the north wing. President Milena Beba Rudman thanked all the guests as well as her sisters "Martha Stewart" (Mimi Orlich) and "Paula Dean" (Zorka Glumac). There were many more to thank, but she hasn't nicknamed them yet! Guests included  Kolo Sisters representing NWI and Chicagoland Circles. Kum Dan Sever expressed his personal admiration for and memories of our sisters. A grand Serbian dessert table offered an unbelievable assortment of homemade desserts and pastries!

Please order early for best selections. Frozen, pre - baked golden brown nut rolls and frozen ready to bake strudels to complement your holiday meal were homemade by our ladies of St. Sava's Serbian Sisters Circle. This is the only bake sale event for this holiday season. Call your order in to 219-736-9191 or Fax it to 219-736-7836 with your name, phone number, and request. Prices and details below:

The Circle of Serbian Sisters of St. Sava Church - Merrillville

cordially invite you and your family to the celebration of

our Krsna Slava Sveta Petka Paraskeva

SATURDAY, October 27, 2012

Divine Liturgy - 10:00 a.m.

Blessing of Slavski Kolach and Parastos

Luncheon in South Wing Following Service

With amazing energy, young guests from Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland enjoyed three nights of kolo dancing at St. Sava's Serb Fest 2012. Musical entertainment for dancing was provided by Orchestra Sumadija, Maestro, and DJ Spaz. See if you can keep up!

Three Illinois Circles of Serbian Sisters hosted an outstanding afternoon of food and entertainment to benefit Lifeline Humanitarian Organization's Chicago Office. As guests arrived, they were treated to a musical performance by "Veselo Selo" Youth Tamburitza Orchestra. Dozens of lavish themed gift baskets were displayed for a lively, competitive auction. Baskets were donated by various businesses, individuals, church organizations, and Kolos. Volunteers served up a great meal that included homemade sarmas and baked chicken. A "Sweet Treat Walk" offered guests a chance to select and pack their own dessert items to enjoy now and later.

The serious and urgent needs of children in Serbian orphanages  were discussed as Kathy Fanslow and Melanie Sever presented videos that also highlighted accomplishments achieved to date. There is much to be done for these innocent children with special needs. Lifeline is working through area churches and Kolo organizations and is eternally grateful for the support received through the years. Special Thanks to the three Illinois Serbian Sisters Circles - St. George, Joliet, St. Archangel Michael, Lansing, and Knjeginja Zorka, Lansing for their hard work and all the guests for their generosity.

Please watch the short videos below and understand the urgency for helping these children of Serbia. Share the videos with friends and family so that they might also help. Donations may be made directly to Lifeline on their website (link at top of page).

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:

What do you get when you mix great people, great food and great cookies with a great cause? A Great Bring-a-Friend Fundraiser benefitting

LIFELINE HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION
Spring 2012 Luncheon

Sunday, May 20, 2012
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

St. George Social Center
310 Stryker Avenue ~ Joliet, Illinois

Featuring:
Lunch prepared by Joliet’s Kolo Women
“Sweet Treat” Walk of homemade baked goods
Auction of Lovely Themed Gift Baskets
Music by Veselo Selo Tambura Orchestra of Joliet

Ticket Price:  $10 per person, payable to: Lifeline

RSVP by May 10 to Roseanne Angelovich
Call: (630)739-2478
or email: rangelovich@yahoo.com


Co-sponsored by a proud partnership of Kolo Sestara:
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church ~ Joliet Circle of Serbian Sisters
St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church ~ Lansing’s 
Circle of Serbian Sisters and Knjeginja Zorka Kolo

Pre-order your delicious strudels and nut rolls for Easter soon by calling the church office (219) 736-9191 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  or call Beba Rudman  at (219) 462-4524 to arrange a pickup time. You can also Fax your order to (219) 736-7836. The KOLO strudel factory has been working non-stop to prepare homemade goodies for everyone to enjoy. Note that the frozen Take-and-Bake strudels are still only $10 for all flavors, and nut roll price is now $12.

Strudel Flavors: Apple, Cherry, Sweet Cheese, Salty Cheese, Spinach & Cheese

On Sunday, December 4, the wonderful ladies of our Serbian Sisters Circle relaxed and enjoyed the afternoon at Innsbrook Country Club as they celebrated the holiday season. After another year of hard work making thousands of strudels, nut rolls, sarmas, and palachinke, it was time to kick back and be served for a change. The ladies enjoyed a delicious meal and Kathy Freidlander took charge of fun and games. Kolo sister Karaveljka Petrovich was presented with a bouquet of red roses to mark her 100 plus* years. "Kolo brothers" Richard Vrtikapa, Simo Glumac, and Stanley Galich also attended. Stanley was presented with a bag of walnuts, honoring his expert nut grinding this past nut roll making season. All joking aside, the men have been a tremendous help and are greatly appreciated!

Thanks to Xenia Jancarich for taking these lovely photos.

You are cordially invited to attend the St. Sava Serbian Sisters Annual

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

Sunday, December 4 at 12:30 p.m.

Insbrook Country Club - 6701 Taft Street

Reservations a must by November 29th

Call Beba Rudman (219) 462-4524

Kay Bozich (219) 980-1805

Mimi Orlich (219) 310-8044

$20 per person

Please bring a friend and join us in the holiday spirit!

Call the church office (219) 736-9191 or email Vonnie today v_orlich@comcast.net.

STILL ONLY $10!

Please attend the annual Humanitarian Banquet hosted by the 4 KOLO Sisters Organization of St. George - Schererville, St. Sava - Merrillville, St. Elijah - Merrillville, and St. George - East Chicago. The ladies have worked tirelessly over the years to collect more than $500,000 to benefit the needy children and families in the homeland. This year's banquet will be held on Sunday, October 9th at 1:00 p.m. at the Halls of St. George at 905 E. Joliet Street in Schererville. Please give generously, and if you cannot attend, send a donation addressed to Four Kolo Organization or Humanitarian Relief Fund to St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi St., Merrillville, IN 46410, or to St. George Church, 905 E. Joliet St., Schererville, IN 46375, Attn.: Kolo.

Where do they get the energy? Not a single pair of opanke was spotted in this young crowd, but you'll see some great dance moves. Young adults and teens from all over the Midwest came to St. Sava's annual Serbian Festival to meet up with old friends and make new ones. Music all three nights was provided by "DJ Spaz" and "Nocna Smena".

Just in time to get you in the mood for Serb Fest, Jay Leno kicks it off with guest Super Serb Novak Djokovich on Tuesday's Tonight Show. Novak Djokovich has been a positive representative and role model for all Serbs, and Jay Leno has taken a liking to our World Champion Tennis Player. Who would have imagined Serbian kolo dancing on the Tonight Show.........maybe Kolo Dancing with the Stars is in the near future?

Sincere Thanks to St. George Church in Schererville for sharing the article and photos below about the distribution of funds raised by the 4 Kolos.

Prota Dobrivoje and his family visited Kosovo during their trip to Serbia and delivered an $18,000.00 donation from the Four Kolo Srpskih Sestara of Northwest Indiana that was designated for the 6 Kosovo soup kitchens that currently feed the many Serbian families in need. His Grace Bishop Teodosije of the Raska-Prizren Diocese was touched by the donation and humbly thanks our good kolo sisters for thinking of our needy people in Kosovo. His Grace Bishop Teodosije, Prota Dobrivoje and family visited one of the soup kitchens in Prekovac near Novo Brdo, Kosovo, where they were already preparing to serve lunch and also prepare a truck that transports food to those families who are further out. Prota Dobrivoje and family were also touched that they were able to visit the monasteries of Gorioc, Pecka Patrijarsija, Visoki Decani and Gracanica that preserve the rich Serbian Orthodox history that will always be proof that Kosovo is Serbia. Our Four Kolo Organization that continues to consist of our St. George kolo, along with the kolos from St. Sava in Merrillville, St. Ilija in Merrillville, and St. George in East Chicago, have over the years collected over $500,000 in monetary help for numerous relief for our Serbian children and their families. Our next 4 KOLO Humanitarian Banquet will be held on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2011 at our St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Schererville, Indiana. Please mark your calendars and help us continue the good work to help our Serbian people. At our next banquet you will be able to hear more about the help given to these soup kitchens and of Prota Dobrivoje’s visit and the situation that currently faces our Serbian people. The Diocese of Raska-Prizren recently posted an article on their website at www.eparhija-prizren.com/sr if you wish to read about the 4 Kolo donation in Serbian! Thank you dear kolo sisters and may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to grant you many more years of strength and unity to continue these good works for our Serbian people! Our St. George Church School children also collected $260.00 for the Soup Kitchens that was also delivered with the 4 Kolo donation.

"Springtime In The Park" was the perfect theme for an afternoon of fashion, food, and fun at the recent event co-hosted by St. Sava and St. Elijah Kolo Sisters. What a pleasure it was to see so many young, beautiful Serbian children and teens model current fashion trends available for purchase at Piper Children's Boutique in Valparaiso and THE BUCKLE in Westfield Southlake Mall. Kolo Sisters attended from St. Louis, South Bend, Milwaukee, and many other midwest parishes. Enjoy the videos and be sure to post them on your facebook pages. Click on the video outside the arrow, and it will take you directly to YouTube, where you can get the video link, or click on the blog title, go to the top of the page and copy the new URL and post the entire story with the videos.

Many Thanks to all the volunteers who worked for weeks planning and organizing this successful event. The combined Kolo Sisters from St. Sava and St. Elijah donated and solicited Silent Auction Items and Door Prizes, sold tickets, served tables, made horsd'oeuvres and baked cookies. Simo Glumac, Arfin Grimsgard, Steve Baroevich, and Nick Knezich served cocktails. Kathy Friedlander made aprons in spring colors for all the servers. Sladjan prepared a fabulous Lenten dinner. Melanie Sever coordinated the style show, and Borka Grimsgard was the commentator. Thanks also to the numerous vendors who tempted us all with their merchandise and services.

Special Thanks to Nancy Van Santen, owner of Piper Children's Boutique in Valparaiso  and Vido Ivanovic, assistant manager of THE BUCKLE in the Mall for their patience and assistance throughout the planning and day of the show.

St. Sava and St. Elijah's Kolo Sisters will together host a Luncheon to raise funds for this year's summer camp season. This relaxing afternoon event will feature a delicious meal, children's style show, cocktails, silent auction, door prizes, and even a Martini Bar! Bring a friend or the entire family. Doors open at 11:30. Details below:

PRICES: Adults $20 - Children 12 & Under $5 - Teens 13 to 18 $10

Yes, it was finally their time to sit back, have a glass of wine, and be served. This past year proved to be among the busiest. The Serbian Sisters Circle members made thousands of strudels, nut rolls, palachinke, and baked goods for seasonal bake sales and Serb Fest. Holiday gift baskets and boxes of Thanksgiving turkeys (donated anonymously) with all the dinner trimmings were packed and delivered to members who can't come to church for health reasons. Kolo sisters prepared and served many Sunday Luncheons and participated in events hosted by other churches and Kolos, always ready to help with charitable causes. St. Sava's sisters hosted the 4 KOLOs Humanitarian Banquet this year.  Innsbrook Country Club was beautifully decorated for the Annual Christmas Luncheon and Kathy Friedlander kept it lively with fun Holiday games. Donna Erceg read Holiday poetry. It was wonderful to see Kay Bozich, Violet Milanovich, the Mileusnic sisters, and many faces back again as well as daughters of Kolo members. Please join us again next year.

Only a few days left, so hurry in your order for take-and-bake homemade strudels and pre-baked nut rolls for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Our Kolo Sisters have that "magic touch", and have been busy for several weeks preparing delicious baked goods.  Pick up your order from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 20th in the south wing. Call in your order (219) 736-9191, or FAX it to (219) 7836.

PRICES:

Apple, Cheese, or Cherry Strudels   $10 each

Nut Rolls    $10 each

You are cordially invited to attend the Slava Celebration of our Serbian Sisters Circle, St. Paraskeva, this Sunday October 24th after Divine Liturgy. The Sisters will prepare a special Luncheon Buffet in the South Wing Social Center, served after Fr. Marko blesses the Kolach and Koljivo. Everyone is welcome, and please bring the entire family.

There's still just enough time left to order one of our Serbian Sisters Cook Books, gift wrapped for the holidays and sent via Priority Mail. Use our Goods & Services tool to your right and order with your credit card. If that's not possible, Please email Dorothy at: dorothyshops@gmail.com to order and make payment arrangements, or stop by the church office from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see Snezana and pick up a copy for only $15. Deadline to order for December 25th Christmas is midnight, December 20. Cook Book is priced at only $15 plus $5 shipping.

If you would like a gift card and message enclosed, use the email address for instructions for any mailed item.

"Sretna Slava!" to all families who celebrate St. Nikola as their Patron Saint. This Saturday blessing of kolach will follow Divine Liturgy, which starts at 9:00 am.

Our Serbian Sisters Circle will offer pre-baked nut rolls and take-and-bake strudels, all flavors. All items are homemade by our Kolo Sisters, and are priced at only $10 each. Stop by from 9 am to 2 pm to pick up your order. Call 736-9191 to order, or fax your request to (219) 736-7836. You can also email an order to bgrimsgard@yahoo.com.

The Serbian Sisters celebrated their annual Christmas Luncheon at Innsbrook Country Club this past Sunday. After a busy and hugely successful year of hard work, it was time to sit back, relax, and let someone else do the cooking! This past year, the women made and sold 3500 strudels and nut rolls, thousands of palachinke, sarmas, and krofne, all to benefit their Church. The Sisters provided appetisers and desserts for many events, made gift baskets and visited the elderly and sick. Their commitment is unbelievable, and they keep going, starting at 7 a.m., and don't leave until all the dishes are put away. Their sore feet and tired backs don't discourage this group of women.

The following Sisters were presented rolling pins as a symbol of appreciation for their hard work and contributions during this exceptionally busy year:

Zorka Glumac, Danica Beslich, Rada Gasic, Mariola Rajkovich, Smilja Andrich, Radmila Milivojevic, Lillian Galich, Dragica Trikich, Vesa Wolanyk, Millie Moncilovich, Donna Nicolich, Polly Vrtikapa, and Beba Rudman.

Kathy Friedlander, Donna Erceg, and Mimi Orlich outdid themselves this year planning a wonderful Christmas Party. They had everyone up on their feet matching parts of Christmas cards, doing puzzles, and other of interactive games. Please join the Sisters next year. You'll have a great time!

Thank You to Donna Erceg for providing these wonderful photos!

Mirko Kljajic will host this Sunday's Luncheon immediately after Divine Liturgy.

Confession will start at 9:00 a.m., Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.

The Kolo ladies of our Serbian Sisters Circle will enjoy an afternoon of fun at their Annual Christmas Luncheon at Innsbrook Country Club, 6701 Taft St., Merrillville.

Pre - order your nut rolls and strudels for this Thanksgiving Holiday. Delicious Apple, Cherry, Sweet Cheese, or Salty Cheese Strudels are Take-and-Bake, Frozen for your convenience. Nut rolls are pre-baked. All items are only $10 and are made by our Kolo Sisters. Call your order in to (219) 736-9191 or Fax our request to (219) 736-7836. You can even email your order to bgrimsgard@yahoo.com.

Cook Books, pre-wrapped for the Holidays, will also be available for purchase for only $15. Pick one up for yourself and for a great Holiday gift.

Please join the Kolo Sisters on Sunday, October 25th as they celebrate their Slava after Divine Liturgy. Blessing of the kolach and koljivo will precede the luncheon. On the actual Slava day, October 27th, the sisters will read the names of all deceased members, a tradition of remembrance for all our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and kumas. Please make every effort to attend both services.

Our Venerable Mother Petka-Paraskeva, as she became known, was born in the 11th century in the city of Epivat, which is between Silivria and Constantinople. Her parents were very religious and raised their children to be pious. After her parents died, St. Petka strictly devoted herself to the monastic life, and with fasting and prayer, she committed her life to God. After five years of fasting and prayer, she went to the Holy Land (Palestine) to live in the desert of Jordan. In her old age, she returned to Constantinople to the Church of Holy Theotokos in Blaherna to revere the miraculous icon of the Mother of God.

Two centuries after her death (1238 A.D.), the Bulgarian emperor John Asen decided to move St. Petka's relics from Epivat, which then was under the Crusader's control, to Trnovo, the capital of Bulgaria. After the Turkish occupation of Bulgaria, the relics were moved again--this time to Vidim on the Danube (Vlaska). In 1396 when the Turks also conquered this area, the Serbian princess Milica acted to bring the holy relics to Belgrade. In 1417 the Church of St. Petka was built in Belgrade and her holy relics were placed there. In 1521 after the mighty Sulleyman II conquered Belgrade, St. Petka's remains, along with many Serbian families, were moved to Constantinople. There her remains were received with great respect and solemnity and the Sultan brought them to his castle. Numerous miracles occurred there, which caused the holy Mother Petka-Paraskeva also to be worshipped by Muslims. In 1641, with permission from Constantinople's patriarch Partenije I, the pious Moldavian ruler Vasilije Lupul brought St. Petka's remains to Moldavia's capital, Jash, where on 14/27 October they were placed in the church of the Three Holy Hierarchs, where St. Petka's holy relics continued to glorify the Lord with wonders and miracles.

(Text from westsrbdio.org)

The very next morning after preparing and cleaning up the Senior Luncheon, our Kolo Sisters were all glamorous and ready to board the bus to Gracanica. They made the long  trip to Grayslake and enjoyed the day once again among friends. Thanks once again to Donna Nicolich, our new stand - in photographer.

The weather was cold and stormy, but the atmosphere was warm and inviting at the first Senior Luncheon hosted by our Kolo Sisters. At 101 years young, even Ann Pamachena attended as Paul and Xenia Jancarich's guest. Thanks to Millie Kokotovich, Beba, Desa, Donna, Mimi, Kay, Gordana, Zorka, and all the girls for preparing the great food, and to Father Marko for his support. Thanks also to Donna Nicolich, our photographer for the day, great job!

The Serbian Sisters Circle has a limited supply of apple, cheese, and cherry strudels for sale. See Milena Rudman Sunday at church, or call Snezana at the church office every morning at 736-9191 for pick-up. Milena will also be available at Badnje Vece. Take-and-bake strudels are priced at only $10, and are home made by our Kolo Sisters.

Our dear Serbian Sisters Circle celebrated their Krsna Slava, the Venerable Mother Paraskeva. It has become a tradition for Ruth Ann Bjelopetrovich and Dan Sever to stand as Kumovi in honor of their beloved parents, Jagoda and Nick Sever. The children of our Sunday School presented a short program about the remarkable life and sacrifices of St. Paraskeva. This was their gift to the Serbian Sisters Circle, our special, hard-working women, the backbone of this Church. We were all treated to a great banquet and endless dessert table! Special guests included Sisters from nearby Church Kolos. Sretna Slava, Ladies!

If you can attend, please join the Sisters at Divine Liturgy Monday, October 27th. The names of all deceased members will be read during the Parastos. This long-held tradition is a very emotional and touching tribute to all the dear Sisters that have passed; generations of our Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, Kumas, Sisters, and Friends. May their Memories be Eternal.

(Click photo to enlarge)

St. Sava's Serbian Sisters Circle celebrates their Slava, St. Paraskeva, this Sunday, October 26th. Please attend the blessing and cutting of the Kolach and Banquet in the south wing following Divine Liturgy.  A  special presentation by the Sunday School children will honor the Patron Saint of our Kolo Sisters. The Kolo Sisters would also like to invite everyone to church on Monday, October 27th, where they will observe Parastos for all deceased members and reading of their names. Refreshments will follow.

Folklore dance groups from all over the mid west and Canada performed a three hour program that delighted all who attended. Children of all ages were dressed from head to toe in colorful authentic costumes representing our Serbian roots. Each costume is from a different village, town, or time period. Most importantly, the children still enjoy learning the dances and are eager to share their pride in the culture that their ancestors have offered to the world.

Small, quick, precise steps in perfect rhythm are difficult to master, and the routines are synchronized to the music. Even the camera had difficulty capturing a clear image of the swift footwork. The commitment of the parents, instructors, and dancers is evident.

Thanks to all the host volunteers, the Master Chefs, the Palachinka Princesses, and ticket sellers for all their hard work. The Executive Board would like to also thank all who attended or purchased a raffle ticket. Your support will help fund the Florida trip for our Senior group this summer, the first far-away trip they've taken in years. We were treated to a great tamburitza concert by the youth group from Joliet, Lansing, and surrounding mid west towns.

Performing at the concert were groups from: St. Elijah-Merrillville, East Chicago, Schererville, Lansing, South Chicago, Cudahy, and of course our own group from Merrillville St. Sava. We were also honored to have as our performing guests Sumadija Folk Dance Group from St. Arsenije Sremac Church in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. They even made it to Church Sunday morning!

Please send us your photos, we'll be happy to add more. Not all the groups are represented in this group of photos. Send your photos to: stsavachurch@gmail.com. If you have video, please post it on youtube and contact us. We'll post the clips in our Video Section.

(Click photo to enlarge)

Hurry on down to the south wing and bring your friends on Saturday, March 15th. The Kolo Sisters are busy preparing nut rolls, strudels, and countless baked treats for the Easter Holiday. Come early for the best selection, or call the church office to reserve strudels or nut rolls. The Bake Sale will be open from 9 am until 3 pm.