Church dedicates new cross

One hundred years ago, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Springfield held a special ceremony when they installed a cross on top of their steeple as a celebration of their faith. Saturday, the time had come to remove their historic landmark and replace it with a new one.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110821/NEWS01/708219852

Father Peter Carmichael blesses the new cross during the ceremony in Springfield on Saturday before it was put on the steeple.
Photo: Vyto Starinskas / Staff Photo

Published August 21, 2011 in the Rutland Herald

Church dedicates new cross

By Christian Avard

SPRINGFIELD — One hundred years ago, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Springfield held a special ceremony when they installed a cross on top of their steeple as a celebration of their faith. Saturday, the time had come to remove their historic landmark and replace it with a new one.

History repeated itself as 50 parishioners and community members attended another special ceremony to commemorate the new stainless steel cross, which is 7 feet tall and weighs approximately 100 pounds.

Parishioner Vic Baskevich of Springfield said the church had to replace the old cross due to wear and tear.

“The first cross went up in October 1911. It’s been fixed twice over the years but the metal got so old, the gold painting wore off, and nothing would stay on it anymore. We had to go with all new metal,” Baskevich said.

The Holy Trinity Orthodox Church made the decision to replace the cross at last year’s annual meeting. They were able to fund it thanks to a generous $20,000 donation from the late Helen Latelle of Springfield.

Baskevich said Latelle was “a dedicated parishioner” and the church chose to dedicate the cross in her memory.

“The whole project cost around $35,000 to $36,000. We put out appeal letters to members of the church and they were pretty generous. It took about four months to raise the extra money to buy the new cross. It was friends, parishioners of the church and ordinary people who came through and gave us money,” Baskevich said.

Father Peter Carmichael of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church presided over the special ceremony. Father Carmichael blessed the new cross in front of parishioners and said the new cross marks a significant moment in the church’s history.

“This is an expression of our deepest faith, just as they did 100 years ago. We are sustaining our church for another 100 years and we are very grateful for the sacrifices of those (like Latelle) who got this church going,” Father Carmichael said.

The old cross was removed and replaced by Old Time Restoration of Winchendon, Mass.