A Serbian Outpost in the Mon Valley Since 1901
On a hillside block of Hartman Street in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, the onion dome and white stone of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church have gathered Serbian and American Orthodox families for worship since the early twentieth century. The parish, which serves both McKeesport and neighboring Duquesne, sits roughly thirteen miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and is recognized as the oldest Serbian Orthodox Church in the eastern United States and the third oldest in America. Its members travel from Pittsburgh, West Mifflin, White Oak, North Versailles, North Huntingdon, Irwin, and beyond to attend Divine Liturgy each Sunday and to share in the parish's traditional festivals, choirs, and outreach ministries.
The church's bilingual welcome extends to anyone, Orthodox or not, who walks through its doors. Visitors are greeted in English, in Serbian, and in the ancient Slavonic of the Liturgy, and the building's interior walls carry six large narrative paintings by Pittsburgh artist Alexander Dzigurski that have adorned the nave since 1959. St. Sava is a working parish: a Sunday-morning congregation, a year-round choir, a women's Kolo, a men's club, a grades 7-12 youth group, a food-pantry ministry, and an annual Lenten fish fry that has twice been voted the best church fish fry in Pittsburgh.
From Hazel Street to Hartman Street
The roots of the parish stretch back to the decade before 1900, when Serbian and Russian immigrants living in the steel and rail towns of the lower Monongahela Valley traveled to a Russian Orthodox church in Wood Run for Holy Liturgy and the sacraments. Tired of the journey, a joint group of Serbs and Russians purchased a Protestant church building on Hazel Street in McKeesport. The five-thousand-dollar sales agreement was signed on October 15, 1900, with Father Vladimir Kalnev, whose wife was Serbian, named as the first parish priest.
As the interior was being reshaped to Orthodox use, the two communities disagreed over which saint the new parish should honor. The Serbs, in the majority, chose St. Sava, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlightener of the Serbian People. The Russian faithful withdrew, and the membership set out to find a Serbian Orthodox priest. In January 1902, Rev. Elijah Komadina became the first of twenty priests who would, in turn, shepherd the parish through the years that followed.
For three decades the parish saw a steady turnover of clergy, sometimes with what the parish history calls alarming frequency. Stability came in October 1934, when Father Milan G. Popovich was elected parish priest. Known affectionately as Popo, he served for thirty-seven years, retiring in 1971. Under his leadership St. Sava prospered spiritually, socially, and academically, and he was the driving force behind the construction of the present church on Hartman Street that the parish still calls home. In 1957 the church board commissioned Alexander Dzigurski, the well-known Pittsburgh painter, to create six large paintings to fill the east and west walls of the nave. He completed them in 1959, and they remain in place today.
The parish marked its centennial in October 2001 and, in November 2026, is preparing to celebrate one hundred twenty-five years of continuous Orthodox witness in the Mon Valley with a hierarchical Divine Liturgy, banquet, and picnic.
Twenty Priests, One Parish
The twentieth priest in the parish's history is its present pastor, the Very Rev. Stavrophor Stevan (Stevo) Rocknage, who arrived in August 1988. Fr. Stevo, a former professor of psychology and practicing therapist, has served St. Sava for more than three decades. He also serves as Episcopal Dean of the Pittsburgh Deanery of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America. Together with his wife, Protinica JoAnne Rocknage, he is the parent of three adult children and has been blessed with numerous grandchildren. Their son, the Rev. Christopher Rocknage, was ordained to the diaconate and later to the holy priesthood at St. Sava and now serves Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
Fr. Stevo leads the parish in conjunction with the elected Parish Council. The 2026 officers are Stephen Kracinovsky (President), Diane (Dee-Dee) Baskot (1st Vice President), Jim Brady (2nd Vice President), Janice Pcholinski (Secretary), Joyce Yovetich (Financial Secretary), and Dana Mohney (Treasurer). The work of the parish is also shaped by Members at Large, an Auditing Board, and four tutors appointed by the priest to assist with Church School and adult education. A delegate and alternate represent the parish at the annual Diocesan Sabor.
Fr. Stevo is the spiritual descendant, in this parish, of men like Father Popovich and of a long line of clergy whose names are remembered on the parish's own list of those who have served. Among them is the 15th priest of St. Sava, Father Bogoljub Gakovich, who served the parish from January 1933 to June 1934 before returning to Yugoslavia, where he was arrested in 1941, imprisoned at the Jadovno concentration camp, and martyred. Father Bogoljub was glorified as a saint by the Orthodox Church in 2004.
The Divine Liturgy and the Church Calendar
The principal act of worship at St. Sava is the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (with that of St. Basil the Great used on a handful of feast days each year). On Sundays during the Church School Year, from September through May, Matins (Morning Prayers) is sung at 9:15 AM, and the Divine Liturgy begins at 10:00 AM. During the summer months of June, July, and August, Matins is not celebrated and the Divine Liturgy begins at 9:30 AM. The service typically lasts about ninety minutes.
Saturday is a day for preparation. Confessions are heard at 5:00 PM throughout the Church School Year and by appointment during the summer. Great Vespers follows at 6:00 PM, although the Saturday evening service is suspended during June, July, and August; visitors are encouraged to confirm the calendar before traveling. The full weekly cycle of services includes the major fasts of the Orthodox year (Great Lent, the Dormition Fast, the Nativity Fast from November 28 through January 6, and the weekly Wednesday and Friday fasts), as well as the Paschal cycle and the Twelve Great Feasts.
The parish falls under the omophor of His Grace the Right Reverend IRINEJ (Dobrijovich), Bishop of Washington-New York and Eastern America. The Serbian Orthodox Church as a whole is led by His Holiness PORFIRIJE, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, who resides in Belgrade.
What a First-Time Visitor Will Experience
The Orthodox tradition is at once ancient and sensory, and St. Sava walks first-time guests through it gently. The walls are covered in icons of Christ, the Mother of God, and the saints; these are venerated with reverence but not worshipped, and visitors are not expected to kiss them or light candles, although both are common in the life of the parish. Worshippers cross themselves frequently, touching forehead, chest, right shoulder, then left shoulder; visitors are free to join in or simply observe.
The traditional posture for prayer is to stand, and members rise for the Gospel reading, the Little and Great Entrances, the distribution of Holy Communion, the priest's blessings, and the Dismissal. Pews are available for those who need them. As a sign of reverence, late arrivals are asked to wait for a break in the service before finding a seat, and to refrain from entering during the Gospel, the homily, or the Entrances.
Holy Communion is reserved for baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared through prayer, fasting, and recent confession. Visitors who are not Orthodox are warmly welcomed to come forward at the end of the Liturgy to receive the Nafora (the blessed bread), a small token of fellowship from the priest.
Modest dress is appreciated. For women, skirts or dresses that fall at or below the knee and covered shoulders are traditional; head coverings are customary but not required for visitors. For men, slacks and a dress or collared shirt are appropriate; shorts, t-shirts, and tank tops are discouraged, and men remove hats upon entering the nave. Silence inside the nave is also a sign of respect, since even quiet conversation can be heard throughout the building. Children are a welcome part of the parish family; fussy children are simply taken out briefly and returned when ready.
If you would like to greet the priest after the service, it is customary to ask for his blessing and to kiss his hand. A simple head bow is also appropriate. Coffee hour follows the Divine Liturgy in the parish hall, and everyone is warmly invited to stay.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed on the church's website and on the parish Facebook page; no Facebook account is required to watch. Recordings are archived on the St. Sava YouTube channel.
Becoming Orthodox: The Catechumenate Path
Becoming Orthodox is described at St. Sava as a journey, not an event. The parish invites inquirers first to attend Liturgy regularly so that they can experience Orthodox worship firsthand and meet the priest and parishioners. After a period of inquiry and a personal meeting with Fr. Stevo, those who wish to continue are formally enrolled as catechumens, committed students of the faith entering a season of formation. The path culminates in Holy Baptism and Chrismation, the ancient ceremonies that mark full initiation into the Orthodox Church.
In its own words, the parish teaches that Orthodoxy is sacramental, that God's grace is communicated through the Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation, the Eucharist, and Holy Confession; liturgical, that worship is the center of the Christian's relationship with God; and Christocentric, that Jesus Christ is at the heart of the faith, followed through the study of his life, death, and resurrection.
The Choir, the Kolo, and the Men's Club
Parishioners at St. Sava are encouraged to take part in the ministries that shape parish life. The St. Sava mixed choir, organized in 1934 by Father Popovich, has sung the liturgical services for more than ninety years. The choir is widely regarded as one of the most essential and inspirational ministries of the parish, and it has performed beyond McKeesport at other parishes in the diocese, including a 2019 concert at Holy Resurrection in Steubenville, Ohio.
The Holy Trinity Kolo (Sveta Trojica Kolo Srpski Sestara), or Circle of Serbian Sisters, was organized in March 1931 to promote sisterly love, unity, and church and social activities. Over the decades the Kolo has provided furnishings for the parish house and church, raised money by making and selling homemade noodles, strudels, and palacinke, and provided meals for parish banquets. Each year the Kolo celebrates its Slava, the feast of its patron, on the Sunday of Pentecost.
The St. Sava Men's Club is known for its generous support of parish projects. The men raise funds by hosting Sunday brunches and their semi-annual Oldies Dances, and they donate their time and labor to maintain the parish facilities. The St. Sava Sisterhood, another women's group, hosts its own annual Slava celebration in October, followed by a sausage-and-waffle brunch in the church hall.
The St. Sava Youth Group gathers students in grades 7 through 12 on a regular basis with Fr. Stevo, with the goal of building fellowship and service in their ranks. The group has organized mission projects such as assembling lunches for Light of Life Rescue Mission in Pittsburgh and participating in the IOCC Youth Health Kit Drive.
Church School and Adult Faith Study
Children are welcomed into the full sacramental life of the parish. Church School convenes at 9:30 AM on Sundays during the school year, with two advisors, Sherry Magill and Carol Buck, organizing the program. The parish teaches that Jesus used children as an example of those who shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, and that children are invited to partake in the kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.
Adult formation takes the shape of monthly Faith Study Groups that meet at Di's Kornerstone Diner in McKeesport. Described by the parish as relaxed and friendly gatherings rather than formal Bible studies, the groups welcome Orthodox and non-Orthodox participants alike for conversation rooted in biblical teaching. Fr. Stevo has also taught weekly lessons on Thursday mornings at 11:00 AM as a way to explore how Orthodox practice shapes daily life.
Feeding the Community: Lenten Fish Fry and the Food Pantry
Each Friday during Great Lent, the parish hall becomes a fish fry that draws visitors from across the Pittsburgh region. St. Sava's Lenten Fish Fry serves fried and baked fish sandwiches and dinners, shrimp dinners, shrimp scampi with spaghetti, haluski, Spanish rice, macaroni and cheese, pierogi, coleslaw, and grah i kupus, the traditional Serbian bean and sauerkraut soup. The fry has earned local acclaim: in 2020 it was crowned champion of The Incline's Ultimate Pittsburgh Fish Fry Bracket, and in 2024 it was named Best Church Fish Fry by NEXTpittsburgh. Endorsements have come from Bob the Raptor and from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Codfather.
Throughout the year the parish supports the St. Cyril of White Lake Food Pantry, an Orthodox ministry based at St. Mary Orthodox Church on Pittsburgh's South Side that provides food to the homeless and the poor of the region. St. Sava parishioners collect non-perishable food items and cash donations, and on the last Thursday of each month a group leaves the St. Sava parking lot at 4:30 PM to help with food preparation and distribution at St. Mary from 5:45 to 6:45 PM.
A Taste of Serbia and the Anniversary Picnic
Every autumn since 2020 the parish has hosted A Taste of Serbia, a two-day Serbian food and music festival that fills the church grounds with cevapi, sarma, palacinke, and other traditional fare. The 2026 festival, the seventh annual, is scheduled for October 2 and 3, with live entertainment by Orchestra Radost of Pittsburgh and a kafana bar serving refreshments in the courtyard. The festival has become one of the principal ways the parish shares Serbian culture with the broader McKeesport community.
In November 2026 the parish will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the church, a banquet at the Stratigos Banquet Centre in North Huntingdon, and an anniversary picnic on the church grounds. The parish is also publishing a commemorative book with full-page, half-page, and quarter-page ad sponsorships available.
Slava: The Serbian Patron Saint's Day
One of the distinctive customs of Serbian Orthodox Christianity is the Slava, or Krsna Slava, a family or community feast day in honor of a patron saint. The tradition dates back to pre-Christian times, when each family honored its own household deity; with the Christianization of the Serbian people, the observance was transferred to Christian saints and given its present form by St. Sava himself. The kolac (a specially prepared bread), the koljivo (boiled wheat), and the candle (vostanica) are blessed by the priest during the Divine Liturgy, then shared with relatives and friends at a dinner in the home or parish hall.
The parish celebrates three principal Slavas each year. The Slava of the Holy Trinity Kolo falls on Pentecost Sunday. The Slava of the St. Sava Sisterhood is celebrated in October. And the Slava of the Church itself, in honor of St. Sava the Enlightener of the Serbian People, is observed each year in late January, traditionally with the cutting of the kolac and a parish banquet.
Beliefs in Their Own Words
St. Sava summarizes its Orthodox Christian faith in three ways. The Orthodox Church is sacramental, believing that God's grace is communicated through the Mysteries (Baptism, Chrismation, the Eucharist, Confession, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Holy Unction). It is liturgical, centered on the regular celebration of the Divine Liturgy together with Vespers, Matins, and the other services of the daily cycle. And it is Christocentric, with Jesus Christ as the focus of worship and the model for daily living.
Beyond these basics the parish points to the central place of Holy Tradition alongside Holy Scripture, the veneration of icons as windows into heaven, the intercessions of the saints and the prayers for the departed, and the rhythm of fasting seasons and feast days that mark the year. The services are celebrated in a mix of English, Church Slavonic, and Serbian, with the majority of the Liturgy conducted in English.
Giving and Stewardship
The parish's online giving is processed through Breeze church management software, and a text-to-give number (412-530-4449) accepts donations of any amount. Stewards also support the parish through an annual pledge card, kept in confidence and managed in conjunction with the parish's online giving profile. In-person offerings of cash or checks are accepted at services, and contributions by mail may be sent to the parish address.
Beyond financial giving, the parish frames stewardship as offering time, talents, and resources to the life of the community. Volunteers staff the fish fry and the Taste of Serbia festival, teach in the Church School, sing in the choir, visit the food pantry, and serve on the Parish Council and the various ministry teams that include the Technology Ministry, the Activities and Welcoming Ministry, and the Faith and Liturgy Ministry.
Reaching the Church
St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church stands at 901 Hartman Street, McKeesport, Pennsylvania, 15132, on the city's hillside east of the Monongahela River. The parish hall phone is (412) 664-0820; the rectory, which is also the parish office, may be reached at (412) 672-1872. Inquiries may be sent to info@stsavapa.org or to Fr. Stevo at frstevor@aol.com. Live directions are available from Pittsburgh (via the Squirrel Hill and Homestead Grays Bridge), from North Versailles, from Elizabeth and the South, and from Monroeville and the East.