Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Merrillville, Indiana)
The Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian: Црква светог Саве, romanized: Crkva svetog Save) was originally established February 14, 1914, in Gary, Indiana, US, and is now located in Merrillville, Indiana, after the consecration of the new church building in 1991.[2][3] It is recognized as being among "10 Beautiful Region Cathedrals and Churches" in Northwest Indiana[4] and one of the Midwest's oldest parishes,[5] founded by early Serbian settlers in the United States seeking to establish their local community with the building of a church to help maintain their traditional customs.[citation needed] The Serbian Orthodox Church-School Congregation of St. Sava was established February 15, 1914, and incorporated on April 16, 1914.[20] In the beginning of the 1960s, a portion of the membership separated itself from the congregation at St. Sava to form the Macedonian Orthodox Church and a religious and cultural center was established in Crown Point, Indiana.[23] In the weeks following the fire a small hall was used as a chapel[23] until the consecration of the new church building in 1991 in Merrillville, Indiana.