Archpriest Star Tour

Published by the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA, October 12, 2005

ARCHPRIEST ROMAN STAR HOSTS A GROUP ON A HISTORY TOUR OF METRO-DETROIT PARISHES

On Monday, 19 September 2005, V. Rev. Archpriest Roman Star, Pastor of St. Innocent Orthodox Church, Redford, Michigan, and Assistant Dean of the Central States Deanery, hosted a group of about 35 women and men who were participating in an all-day bus tour of several local Orthodox churches. The theme of the tour was to learn about the history of some of the smaller, less well-known parishes among the approximately 35 Orthodox churches in the metro-Detroit area. The tour was sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Women of Metro-Detroit, a group started in 1993 at St. Innocent Church by a member of the parish, with Fr. Roman’s blessing and participation.

Father Roman explained that an important aspect of the 38-year history of the parish are the amazing sixty-one life-size, full-length icons of primarily recently canonized/glorified saints that cover every wall (plus the Pantocrator and angels on the ceiling), and contribute enormously to creating a very spiritual environment for prayer and worship. Because the saints literally surround the worshiper, they graphically convey the reality that in divine worship, we are very literally elevated to the heavenly realm, where we “represent the cherubim” who constantly sing the Lord’s praises around His throne.

Father Roman is entirely responsible for the magnificent icons that transform an architecturally simple building into a small jewel. He explained how, after doing considerable research, he personally chose which saints would be portrayed on each wall. The iconographic program is unique: it includes all eleven American saints, plus women and men saints of many different countries—reflecting the multi-ethnic character of the parish and of Orthodoxy in America—along with some older national patron saints. The iconographic work has been done in six stages between 1991 and 2004 by the master iconographer, Archpriest Theodore Jurewicz of Erie, Pennsylvania.

After Father Roman’s presentation, the people had a chance to ask questions and then to look closely at the icons. They left St. Innocent awestruck by the magnificence of the icons, and the very peaceful atmosphere of the small gem that is St. Innocent Church.



Volume 7 Number 42 - Tuesday, October 18, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY