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Wilmington, DE
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Mailing Address:
2231 E Huntington Dr
Wilmington, DE 19808
Church Address:
2300 W Huntington Dr,
Wilmington, DE 19808-6900
Web: http://www.stmichael-delaware-oca.org/ocf.html
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Founded in 1915
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Parish Contacts
Rev.
Andrew J Anderson, Rector
Home: 302-995-6775
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Lay Leadership
Mr. James Carpenter, Choir Director
337 S Broadway
Pennsville, NJ 08070
856-678-3572
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Directions
General Location
St Michael the Archangel Church is located on the corner of Kirkwood Highway (Route 2) and W Huntington Dr in the Pinecrest Development, between the intersections of Milltown Rd and St James Church Rd. The largest major intersection due east on Kirkwood Highway is Limestone Rd (Route 7).
From Downtown Wilmington
Take Route 52 (Pennsylvania Ave) to N Union St. Turn left and follow N Union into Kirkwood Highway (Route 2). Drive west on Route 2 towards Newark. Pass Elsmere and Preces Corners. Go through the intersection of Limestone (Route 7) and Kirkwood Highway. Pass light at St James Church Rd (Exxon gas station). Look for Pinecrest Development on the left-hand side, between St James Church Rd and Milltown Rd (see 7-11 store). Look on the left-hand side for a brown wood and brick church building with an onion dome and cross on top. Turn left onto W Huntington Dr and enter church parking lot. This journey is approx. 6 miles from the start at N Union St.
From University of Delaware in Newark
Take Route 2 east from the University, past the entrance to Delaware Park, past Milltown Rd to Pinecrest Development (which is on the right-hand side, between intersections of Milltown Rd and St James Church Rd, and before the light at Limestone Rd/ Route 7). Look for a brown brick and wood church with an onion dome and cross on the right-hand side of Kirkwood Highway. Turn right onto W Huntington Dr and enter the church parking lot.
From north of Wilmington
Take I-95 south to exit 5B, Rt 141 north (towards Newport). Take Route 141 north to exit 6B (towards Newark). Take Route 2 (Kirkwood Highway) west towards Newark for 3 miles. Go through the major intersection of Limestone (Route 7) and Kirkwood Highway (Route 2). Pass light at St James Church Rd (Exxon gas station). Look for Pinecrest Development on the left-hand side, between St James Church Rd and Milltown Rd (see 7-11 store). Look on the left-hand side for a brown wood and brick church building with an onion dome and cross on top. Turn left onto W Huntington Dr and enter church parking lot.
From South of Wilmington
Take I-95 north to exit 4B (Route 7 north). Take Route 7 north approx. 2 miles to Rt 2 (Kirkwood Highway). Turn left onto Kirkwood Highway and go west for approx. 1/2 mile. Pass light at St James Church Rd (Exxon gas station). Look for Pinecrest Development on the left-hand side, between St James Church Rd and Milltown Rd (see 7-11 store). Look on the left-hand side for a brown wood and brick church building with an onion dome and cross on top. Turn left onto W Huntington Dr and enter church parking lot.
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Schedule of Services
All services are in English.
Saturday Evening
5:00 PM Vespers followed by Confessions.
Sunday Morning
8:40 AM Hours.
Sunday Morning
9:00 AM Divine Liturgy, 11:30 Church School (September - June), followed by a Fellowship Hour.
Thursday Evening
7:00 "The Basics of Orthodoxy" class--a newcomers and inquirers class open to all, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike. Held on alternating weeks with Thursday night Bible Study. Call the Rectory for more information.
Eves of Great Feasts
7:00 PM Great Vespers with Litiya.
Mornings of Great Feasts
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy.
Wednesday Evenings in Great Lent
6:00 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
Friday Evenings in Great Lent
6:00 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts followed by potluck supper and Saint's life presentation.
Please call the Rectory at 302-995-6775 for schedule of other services, or to arrange Baptisms, Marriages, Memorials, etc. The priest's email is frandrewanderson@juno.com
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Ministry Groups
Altar Servers
No information at this time
Contact: Fr Andrew Anderson
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Coordinator
Choir
Practices monthly, prior to Vespers at 3 PM.
Contact: James Carpenter
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Choir Director
Readers
No information at this time
Contact: James Carpenter
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Coordinator
Youth / Young Adult Ministries
Church School and Vacation Bible School
Contact: Lynn Sulpizi
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Coordinator
Campus Ministry - University of Delaware, Newark
OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship) for young adults at the University of Delaware. Meets every Sunday evening at 7:00 PM at Paul's Chapel on Haines St (near Russell Hall). Transportation from the university to St Michael's Church on Sunday is available (contact Basil Peck at 302-239-4388 to arrange for a ride).
Contact: Stephen Brasowski
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President
"Basics of Orthodoxy" Inquirer's class
This is an inquirers class that meets from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM every other Thursday evening, year round. Open to all that are interested in learning about the Ancient Christian Faith.
Bible Study
Meets every other Thursday at 7:30 PM.
Sisterhood of St Mary
Provides for the "needs" of the altar--maintains vestments, arranges for purchases of vestments and repairs. Supports salary of an African Orthodox clergyman through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
Contact: Alice Morjana
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Coordinator
Prosphora Bakers
Rotating schedule
Contact: Colleen Shatley
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Coordinator
Coffee Hour
Hosts and Hostesses on a rotating schedule
Service Duty (Greeters, Candle Desk)
Rotating Schedule
Contact: James S Riley
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Chairperson
Church Cleaning Volunteers of Love
Rotating Schedule
Parish Council
No information at this time
Contact: Rashid Elia
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President
Buildings and Grounds Maintenance
No information at this time
Contact: Fr Andrew and Parish Council
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Coordinator
Building Committee
Presently St Michael's is in a capital campaign and building program for a new social hall / administrative expansion project.
Contact: James F Riley
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Contact
Parish Newsletter: "St Michael's Communicator"
send articles by email to franwilson@comcast.net
Contact: Fran Wilson
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Editor
Greeters
No information at this time
Contact: Nihmat Morjana
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Coordinator
St Michael's Library
Hundreds of volumes available for circulation. Open during Fellowship Hour on Sunday mornings.
Contact: Ellen Gunderson
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Librarian
Keeping In Touch (KIT) Outreach Program
Parish volunteers regularly visit members of the community who are restricted to their homes.
Contact: Mary Lewis
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Contact
St Michael's Bookstore
Contains icons, prayer books, books on the Orthodox Faith and religious gifts
Contact: Mat Karen Anderson
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Contact
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Upcoming Events
No Information at this time
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Parish Background
In 1913 a small group of Orthodox Christian immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian area of Europe, Russia and Ukraine met to consider forming a Russian Orthodox parish in Wilmington. In 1915 a larger group under the guidance of Fr John Zloben purchased a row house at 431 S Claymont St and converted it into a house of worship. Growth increased in 1921 when a Russian Orthodox community in Pennsgrove, NJ closed and religious articles were acquired. Further growth permitted the addition at the site in 1930 of a priest's living quarters as well as church school facilities.
In 1950, under the spiritual leadership of the beloved Archpriest Basil Anziferoff, the row house chapel at 431 S. Claymont was torn down and replaced with a brand-new Orthodox church edifice.
In 1962, six acres of farm land on Kirkwood Highway were acquired. By this time, most of the parishioners were moving from the Claymont St area to the suburbs. In anticipation that a new house of worship would be built on the Kirkwood Highway property, a rectory for the priest was purchased in 1975 in nearby Newark.
It was under the spiritual leadership of Father Joseph Chupeck that the community of St Michael the Archangel built its present structure. To obtain funds to construct the new church on Kirkwood Highway, the Claymont St site was sold in 1978 and ground was broken in that same year. Through the generosity of McCrery Funeral Homes, the funeral memorial chapel was used for the parish's worship services while the present house of worship was under construction. It was completed and dedicated in 1980.
Since the establishment of the Church on Kirkwood Highway, several things were accomplished: A rectory adjacent to the Church was acquired in 1985. A traditional cupola and gold cross were added to the Church in 1990. The iconostasis was completed in 1996, and in the same year the Church was consecrated with the placing of the Holy Relics in the Altar by Metropolitan Herman (then the ruling diocesan bishop).
It should be noted that since the 1970s, St Michael's has used the English language for worship services and has followed the New Calendar.
Today's parish life includes a full cycle of church services throughout the year, educational opportunities (Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Bible Study, Inquirer's Class, catechumen tutorials, etc) and various ministry services, such as: Altar servers, choir, chanters and readers, Sisterhood, Pierogie makers, youth activities, young adult campus ministry (OCF), prosphora bakers, coffee hour hosting, greeters, service duties, church cleaning, church council, library, bookstore, and building and grounds maintenence.
Presently, by God's Grace, we are growing. There are new converts, new arrivals from "traditional Orthodox countries", and new Orthodox families who either moved into the area or transferred into our parish. The parish has become a very "Pan-Orthodox" church of "All Nations".
"On the strength of this growth, our parish community is currently undertaking a project of building expansion. We will construct a large social hall with a larger kitchen and handicapped-accessible restrooms, and we will also expand the physical size of our church. A successful Capital Campaign was launched in May 2004 with $374,000 in pledges. Our plans have been submitted, important variances have been granted, and we are awaiting approval by New Castle County. In September 2007, we planted a cross on the location of our new building and Bishop TIKHON of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania consecrated the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2008.
We would love to have you come and visit our parish and pray with us. God bless you!
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