About Us
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3)
THE CHURCH FACILITY
St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church is located in Cudahy, Wisconsin, in the southeastern part of the state close to Lake Michigan. Cudahy is a small suburb south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the state’s major city. St. Nikola is a small church, in physical size and membership, and fits in well with the friendly community of Cudahy. The church building itself was built in 1907 as a Lutheran church, which was then completely renovated and remodeled into our present-day Orthodox style by founding members of the church who bought the property in 1963. These founders, a majority of whom were immigrants, did all the physical labor to create a sanctuary for Serbian Orthodox worshippers in the southeastern part of the metropolitan area.
Besides the necessary “concrete” aspects of creating a new church, the educational, cultural and social aspects also needed to be developed. We have always provided a strong religious and cultural base to our children through our Sunday School program, teaching not only our faith, but our language and culture as well. Our Church Choir is nationally renowned and our foremost representative to our churches in our Diocese and beyond. Our KSS (Kolo Srpskih Sestara: Circle of Serbian Sisters) is the backbone of support for our church, providing the hospitality we are known for, as well as funding and sewing altar boy robes through the years. Our Folklore groups have been the core of our cultural base and have wowed audiences wherever they performed. Besides the church organizations, we had several cultural, historical and political groups whose mission was supporting the church. We have only one remaining group, “Kralj Petar II” (“King Peter II”) Chetniks, who have remained strong and contributed much in the way of financial aid, physical work and actual church “furnishings” and maintenance of church properties.
Through its 60 plus years of existence, St. Nikola Church has been developed and beautified by the addition of stained glass windows, new iconostases (3), icons, carpet runner, altar table and altar furnishings, gorgeous chandelier, peripheral seating (the church has no pews), a new exterior dome, an enclosed porch to accommodate the candle area, and the crowning glory, the beautiful, warm and inspiring Byzantine-style frescoes, painted in the last 15 years after a devastating fire practically gutted our church. The warmth and beauty of our small church has been displayed as part of the public event known as “Doors Open Milwaukee”, two years in a row. This event gives the public a chance to visit the interior of buildings they have always wondered about. Our St. Nikola Church was a “showstopper”, reviewed in newspapers and blogs as “a hidden gem”. In addition to the church per se, our facility was enlarged with a large banquet hall, where all of our church events are held. The hall, and the original small hall that leads into the large hall, are also available for rentals for weddings, christenings and other private functions. The church founders were also farsighted in their vision for our church by purchasing land in Caledonia, Wisconsin, that now is home to the St. Nikola Cemetery and Chapel, a soccer field, and picnic grounds, with pavilion, roasting facility, children’s play area and bocce ball court.
OUR FAITH AND RELIGIOUS LIFE
St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church is a Christian Church of Eastern Orthodoxy that has its roots in Pentecost, which is the unofficial “Birthday of the Church”. Our faith is “apostolic”, as it traces its creation to the Apostles and the Day of Pentecost, when the Apostles were given the “gift of Tongues” by Jesus Christ and told to go out and spread the “Good News” (Gospel) to all peoples.
In the 9th century, brothers Cyril and Methodius, missionaries and theologians who were later canonized, evangelized the Slavic peoples, among them the Serbs. They are credited with devising the Cyrillic alphabet, still in use today in modern day Serbia. The basis of our Faith has never changed throughout the centuries.
St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church is part of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gracanica and Midwestern America, with the Diocesan See located at the Most Holy Mother of God Monastery, Third Lake, IL. Our Diocese is led by our Metropolitan Archbishop Longin and Bishop Serafim.
St. Nikola S.O. Church follows the Julian (Old) calendar, in use at the time of the Church’s inception in apostolic times; it is thirteen days behind the western, or Gregorian calendar. Our church follows the teachings and canons of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church. Our parish services (Liturgies)reflect the needs of a diverse parish and are served in a combination of Serbian and English. Liturgy services begin at 10:00 am on Sundays and major Church Feast Days.
St. Nikola S.O. Church is served by parish priest., V. Rev. Branislav Koncarevi.
The administrative arm of the church is run by the St. Nikola Church Board, which consists of the executive board and members-at-large, as well as an audit board. Current President of the Church Board is Dobrivoje Miletich, whose contact information is: (414) 731-0301.