Sts. Cyril & Methody Macedonian Orthodox Church, Blasdell, New York
Sts. Cyril and Methody is a Macedonian Orthodox church located in Blasdell, New York, just outside of Buffalo. The church serves a community of approximately 4,000 Macedonian-Americans within Western New York as well as portions of Western Pennsylvania (shared by the St. Nicholas Parish in Green, OH). It is host to the oldest Macedonian Orthodox Church festival every second weekend of July, beginning in 1991.
| Sts. Cyril and Methody | |
|---|---|
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| 42.79606°N 78.80314°W | |
| Location | 4785 Lake Ave. Blasdell, NY 14219 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | stscyrilandmethodymoc.com |
| History | |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | American-Canadian |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | Rev. Andreja Damjanovski |
History
The church was granted for the recent Macedonians seeking refuge from socialist Yugoslavia in the mid to late 1960s, many of whom would work for the local steel industry including a large influence by Bethlehem Steel in neighboring Lackawanna. By 1969, land was purchased to begin building a place of worship for the community.[1] Due to a lack of available funding, a church hall was constructed instead of a church. The church itself did follow in 1975 on May 24, which was declared by the diocese on July 7. It was not until September 13, 1981 that all portions of the project were finalized. It wouldn't be until 2001 when the church saw major renovations with the addition of a smoking hall (smaller than the main hall) and an overhaul of the existing church hall and church structure as approved by the church board. 2001 also saw the appointment of a new pastor, Dimitar Alincanec, with Father Trajko appointed to fill the vacancy at St. Clement of Ohrid in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2005 a new roof was installed to accommodate the church hall renovations. Petko Kesakovski was installed as the third pastor of the church in June 2006 though his relocation led to another change as the fourth and current pastor Andreja Damjanovski was assigned in December 2008. 2010 Saw the addition of bronze cupolas as well as an upgrade of the exterior shed, whose main purpose is served for the festival food tent but also has an adjacent patio for event bookings.
Festival
The annual ethnic festival held on the church grounds has attracted guests from all over North America. There is live entertainment which includes a Macedonian band and separate dance group. The live entertainment can be found in the main events tent along with the alcohol distributors. On the opposite side of the rear end of the lot is the food tent with the games tent between the two. Inside the smoking hall, the seating is rearranged to accommodate the baked goods area. The main hallway becomes an impromptu museum of Macedonian history.