St. Mary's Sisterhood

Women's Study Group

Oral History of the Sisterhood

AN ORAL HISTORY
--by Sisterhood Members

Hard Work, Giving Hearts Signal St. Mary's Sisterhood's Purpose

Behind every growing church is a hard-working, dedicated sisterhood. Certainly, this would be true of St. Elias Orthodox Church of Battle Creek and its St. Mary's Sisterhood.

From the first year of its formation in 1966, St. Elias Church has flourished because of the vision and dedication of its founding members and the women who formed its sisterhood at the same time. Their function was to support the church in all ways possible. Those first sisterhood ladies remember voting on the name and all the governing articles that determined the group's purpose, its goals, its hopes and dreams. That early dream was to establish a strong Orthodox Church in Battle Creek and that dream is alive today.

The founding sisterhood members knew how to make dreams come true with plenty of prayer and hard work. They helped raise money to build the Church and to purchase items to beautify the temple and they did it one step at a time, one baklava, one zelnick at a time.

In those early days the church held picnics, dances, and dinners and the ladies of the sisterhood baked trays of desserts and sold them off folding tables. Bit by bit they earned the money to achieve their goals and then they made new goals.  One lady remembers when they purchased the beautiful chandelier that graces the temple. They had to drive to Detroit to pick it up and after it was paid for, the sisterhood treasury was at zero. Undaunted they set their next goal and went to work to achieve it.

Over the years the ladies have worked tirelessly at many things. When Battle Creek turned their main street into a plaza and held Ethnic Festivals, St. Mary's Sisterhood was there selling cabbage rolls and sausages and desserts. When the Balloon Festival first came to Battle Creek Airport, St. Mary's sisterhood stood in the hot sun to sell their home-made desserts.  Some holidays, the ladies took orders for trays of baklava, zelnicks and other desserts, and then filled the orders from their own kitchens because the hall kitchen had not yet been built.

The sisterhood used to meet once a week to make crafts, which they sold at craft Bazaars held in the church hall. Desserts and breads were also sold at their craft Bazaars and bowls of homemade bean soup and homemade bread were offered making a hearty lunch at a reasonable price for shoppers.  Basket raffles, two separate cookbooks, numberless bake and craft sales, coffee and donuts on Sunday and a whole list of events, some long forgotten, helped raise money.

And not to overlook spiritual needs the sisterhood has maintained a showcase where objects of worship, crosses, icons, prayer and liturgy books, may be purchased at an affordable price.  And what did the sisterhood do with this money? Always it has gone for the betterment of the church, for its additions and beatification and spiritual growth and to offer help in the community.

• The sisterhood donated $5,000 toward the hall expansion, plus providing the original carpeting, the draperies and shades.
• They donated a thousand dollars toward the parking lot.
• They built a kitchen and furnished it with commercial ovens, freezers and refrigerators, dishes, silverware and glassware for formal dinners, pots and pans, roasters and coffeepots, microwaves and just about anything else that was needed to serve church functions.
• For any visiting church dignitary, special guests or events the sisterhood women provide meals and pot lucks to celebrate and welcome our visitors.
• In addition to the chandelier, the sisterhood donated a beautiful leaded-glass window to the temple; purchased a photocopy machine to facilitate the Sunday School, the choir and anyone else who needed it; and they provide Sunday School supplies and gifts for the children on St. Nicholas Sunday.
• They've replaced the vacuum cleaner and they see to it that kitchen supplies are available for all dinner functions.

The sisterhood has not forgotten its role in the community.

• They've donated to needy individuals outside our church who have suffered loses through fires and other catastrophes.
• When one man needed to have a heart transplant, St. Mary's sisterhood donated money toward that.
• When children were left orphaned by a home fire, the sisterhood sent money to help.
• They've collected food for the food bank, linens for fire victims and furniture for parishioners who didn't have the things needed to start a home.
• Each year, several hundred dollars is given to community organizations that tend the homeless and the handicapped, such as the Salvation Army, Haven of Rest, InAsMuch House, Safe Place, and American Red The Holy Myrrhbearing Women
  Cross for Honduras relief among others.
• They've also made donations to parish members who found themselves in moments of financial crisis due to ill health.
• The sisterhood has donated money to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in Florida to support orphanages and more recently sent care packages for the Tsunami victims.
• They've sent money to priests at time of illness or the birth of a child. Monetary support and goods were extended to Father Peck when he and his family lived in Alaska.

Just about everything that has occurred in the church has the fine hand of the sisterhood behind it, ladies who have donated unstintingly of their time, money and labor and make no show of what they've done.

As one member pointed out, their deeds are not publicized, they are a private giving. Another said of this article, 'Don't make it bragging about what we've done.' But it's hard to talk about the sisterhood's deed without sounding like bragging. So much has been accomplished. The sisterhood works as a cohesive whole without any one member wishing to stand out. This is truly the spirit of love for this church they've helped build. In doing this they have become a family of sisters.

As the church looked forward to a new priest and to a new set of needs, the sisterhood women began looking ahead. Said one, “We’ve stopped doing some of those earlier money-earning events. We've slowed down a bit." Said another, "but we're going to have to begin again." There's a general nodding of heads, almost an eagerness to take up the challenge once more.  Many hands are needed in the tasks ahead. Ideas and energy and dedication are welcomed as the church moves forward.

Soon a forty year anniversary will be celebrated by St. Elias who started with less than twenty families. As the church and its parishioners step into a future with a new priest and matushka, all will be working toward new goals, none harder than the sisterhood.

The sisterhood meets the second Thursday of the month. In the early days the ladies took turns meeting at each other's houses, then at the church hall. In recent years the meetings are held at different restaurants where a room is usually provided for our meeting. The president, Judy Yost and her officers provide an open, friendly meeting environment. Fellowship and dining are part of the tradition as events are decided and support pledged. The heart of the sisterhood has remained steadfast in its purpose. Anyone who has not yet joined is truly welcomed and needed.

Women’s Study Group
Kickoff at Dormition Monastery, Abbess Mother Gabriella, December 2004
Monthly study meetings at St. Elias Church, 2005, theme: “Modern Women Saints”

Can you find these Orthodox leaders?   Mother Gabriella, Keynote Speaker; Fr. Roman Star, Acting Administrator at St. Elias; Fr. David List, temporary priest at St. Elias; Sister Ioanna, attached to Fr. Roman, teacher at monthly study group meetings. 

Can you find these participants? Linda Martin, Kristen Dinsmore, Terri Sookhai, Nina Fallon, Gail Brandow, Nina Ledford, Linda Hanchar, Beth St. Andrew, Nora Keathley, Matushka Marilyn, Barbara Repack, Carina Gunnerson, Bethel Adamov, Helen Repair, Charissa Oliphant, Judy Yost, Matushka Susan.