ST. HELENA - Saints Peter and Paul’s Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church celebrated the announcement that the church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ann Mizerak, David Mizerak, and Mary Bakan are the last three members of the church, even though they are often joined in services with visitors. They have been instrumental in pursuing the National Register distinction for the historic church.
Jennifer R. Brosz, coordinator of the NC State National Register Office, and Ramona Bartos, the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, presented the certificate to Ann Mizerak, Mary Bakan, and David Mizerak, along with Pender County Commissioner Fred McCoy accepted the certificate during the Oct. 21 celebration on the church grounds.
Saints Peter and Paul’s Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church was founded by Ukrainian and Eastern European immigrants. The church was built in 1932.
The architecture is very colonial, but features a Byzantine cupola with a triple-bar cross, according to Edward Turbeg, an architectural historian restoration consultant. Turberg was a guest speaker at the Oct. 21 ceremony that celebrated the church’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
“The church was designed by Father Boruch’s daughter, Olga,” Turberg said, adding that the church features colonial churches of North Carolina similar to other denominations such as Methodist and Baptist buildings. But Olga incorporated a dome with the cross. “The church is unique and the only one of its kinds in North Carolina.”
“St. Helena was the first settlement of Ukrainians in North Carolina,” Donna Serna Goldstein said. She recalled with fondness celebrated two Christmases because the community followed two different calendars, including the Orthodox calendar.
Special guests at the celebration included George Edwards, executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation and musical guest Philip Evancho, Professor Emeritus Craven County Community College. The invocation was given y Deacon Andrew Cannon of St. Basil Orthodox Church. St. Helena Mayor Robert Barnhill welcomed dignitaries. Boy Scout Troop 242 of Burgaw presented the colors and Ryan Norris led the Pledge of Allegiance. Ron Murphy was the master of ceremonies.
Following the ceremony, generations of families from St. Helena gathered at the community center for lunch, which included homemade pierogis and borscht.
The day of celebration was designed to honor the work and lives of the founders of Saints Peter and Paul’s Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church.
