Diocese: Romanian Episcopate
Deanery: Great Lakes USA Deanery
Address
1836 North Rd NE
Warren, Ohio 44483-3653
Website: hroc1917.org
Office: 330-372-1159
Parish Contacts
Cleveland, OH 44111-1144
Directions
From Youngstown & South
Route 11 North. Exit at Route 82 West (exit is on the left, sign for Warren). Continue on Route 82 West for 2 miles. Follow sign for Market St. At the first intersection (Speedway Gas & Gateway Center), turn right onto North Road. Church is 1 mile ahead on the right side.
From Cleveland & Ohio Turnpike
Take Exit 209 (Warren). After toll booth, go straight onto Route 5 East. Continue on Route 5, bypassing Warren exits. Exit at “Route 5/Cortland/Elm Rd.” At intersection, turn left onto Elm Rd. Turn left at next traffic light, Blair Dr. At next intersection, turn right onto North Road. Church is 3/4 mile ahead on the left.
From Akron and I-76
Take exit 38B for Routes 5 and 44, and then follow Route 5 E to Warren. Continue on Route 5, bypassing Warren exits. Exit at “Route 5/Cortland/Elm Rd.” At intersection, turn left onto Elm Rd. Turn left at next traffic light, Blair Dr. At next intersection, turn right onto North Road. Church is 3/4 mile ahead on the left.
Schedule of Services
4:30 PM Vespers followed by Confessions. Please check with parish for schedule.
Saturday Evening
9:00 AM Hours; 9:30 AM Divine Liturgy.
Sunday Morning
For Holy Week and for other services please contact the parish office.
Holy Week
Confessions are heard following Vespers, prior to the service, or by appointment.
Confessions
Parish Background
The first Romanian to settle in the Warren area came around 1905. They were attracted to this area by the fast growing economy and industrial expansion going on at that time. Warren seemed to hold the answer to their reasons for leaving Romania and coming to America, mainly “to save a thousand dollars and return fare to Romania.”
A majority of the people who immigrated to this area came from the Transylvania region of Romania, which at the time was under the Austro-Hungarian occupation. For the most part, those immigrating to these shores were young men and to a lesser degree young women anxious to improve their lot in life. By 1912, a sizable group of these Romanians had settled in the Warren area due to the availability of employment in the local factories. They came and established residence in the boarding houses run by other Romanians. This lifestyle allowed them to be among their own; they spoke the same language, ate traditional food, and socialized with each other. This living and working situation resulted in their desire to expand their social and cultural activities and in 1912 they formed a social and beneficial society called the Biruinta Society.
The majority of the new arrivals were baptized Orthodox and having solved their social needs decided to do something to meet their spiritual needs. Father John Podea, administrator of the newly formed Romanian Orthodox Youngstown Deanery, was contacted and asked for assistance.
On the Sunday of Pascha, April 15, 1917, Father Podea held services in the Warren Episcopal Church, at the conclusion of which he called a meeting for later afternoon of all those present and any person interested in forming a new Orthodox parish.
At that meeting father Podea advised those in attendance to organize, contact interested persons, and raise funds needed to build a church, promising his counsel and assistance whenever it was needed, saying to the people “Remember, my children, I have not come to you today only to give you Pascha, but to make of this day a day of Resurrection for the Romanian people of Warren. I want to remain in your midst until a new Zion is built, a Romanian Church in which ‘Christ is Risen’ will be sung every Sunday. To show my confidence in this project we shall call the new church the ‘Holy Resurrection’ so that you will always remember these moments. I now declare the new parish to be officially founded.”
Under the direction of Father Podea, the people elected officers and a council, which was divided into teams to contact all the Romanians in the area for solicitation of funds to build the prospected church. Over $10,000 was collected in a relatively short time and the new council purchased a lot on Vine Avenue, contacted an architect and arranged financing through a local bank. On October 16, 1918, the new church was completed and blessed. The total cost was approximately $20,000, plus the interior furnishings, which were donated by the people. The mortgage of $10,000 was paid off by 1923, five years after its inception. In 1934, after extensive renovation both inside and out, the church was rededicated by Archpriest and Vicar Father John Trutza and visiting priests.
In 1965, due to lack of space and urban renewal, the parish found themselves looking for a site to relocate and build a new church. Two lots on North Road were purchased and the necessary financial arrangements were made through the Second National Bank. Architects Wachter and McCelland were hired to draw the plans for the new church and parish house. Baker Construction Company was awarded the contract for the church and Hank Brothers Construction was given the contract for the parish house.
The year 1967 was a transitional year for the life of the parish. The parish home was completed in the spring, and the foundation and framework for the church was in place. The parish celebrated its 50th Anniversary in the church on Vine Avenue on May 6 - 7, with services headed by His Grace Bishop Valerian, and the last Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the old church on Sunday November 26, 1967. A temporary altar was set up in the newly completed Social Hall and the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on December 3rd.
The year 1968 saw the new church completed and Bishop Valerian, assisted by Diocesan clergy, consecrated the building on May 5th. An era had passed and a new beginning was in the making. Five years later, on October 28, 1973, a Mortgage Burning ceremony was held.
Holy Resurrection has participated in many functions sponsored by the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and hosted the national conventions of ARFORA, AROY, Orthodox Brotherhood and the annual Episcopate Church Congress at the Vatra.
Today the church is involved in community work, has an active youth group, a strong lay ministry group that is also involved in the community work, a prayer group, and clothe a child ministry.