Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church

The Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church
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37°52′55″N89°06′37″W / 37.881885268598715°N 89.11035301933485°W / 37.881885268598715; -89.11035301933485
Location	112 N. Fairdale Street, Royalton, IL
Country	United States
Denomination	Russian Orthodox
Website	https://www.phvm.org/
History
Founded	1914
Founder(s)	Frank Derbak, John August and Paul Andrews [1]
Dedication	1915 [2]
Past bishop(s)	Rev. Michael Vyacheslavov
Architecture
Groundbreaking	October 14, 1914 [1]
Construction cost	$2,200 (1914) [2]
Administration
Diocese	American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese
Clergy
Rector	Rev. John Pawelchak

The Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Royalton, IL is one of the only remaining Russian Orthodox churches in southern Illinois. ^{[3] [4] [5]} The church was founded by eastern European immigrants, including Rusyns, ^{[2] [6] [4] [7]} Ukrainians, Polish, Latvians, and Russians, ^[8] many of whom worked in local coal mines ^{[9] [10] [11]} The three principal founders were Frank Derbak, John August and Paul Andrews. Ground was broken on October 14, 1914, the same day as the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos. ^[2] It was built to mimic the construction of the now-closed St. Ioasaph's in Muddy. ^{[12] [13]} Each parishoners family was asked to give $25 at the start of construction and was asked to give another $25 when the construction was finished. ^[14]

The church opened to parishioners in late 1915. ^{[1] [2]}

On October 27, 1914, there was an explosion at the nearby Royalton North No. 1 Mine, killing over 100 miners. ^[15] Thirteen of the miners who were killed in the disaster were members of the church. ^{[14] [16]} There is a memorial at the church, and many of the miners were buried in a cemetery dedicated to the disaster. ^[17] The mining company donated land north of Royalaton to bury the miners, and became St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Cemetery. ^{[4] [11]} Each year, on October 27 a panachida is celebrated in remembrance of the thirteen parishioners who were killed. ^[18]

The nearby village of Dowell also had a Russian Orthodox Church, Saints Peter and Paul, but it has since closed. A memorial to the closed Dowell church is located in at the Holy Protection church. ^{[19] [14]}

Memorial to the former Dowell Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church, located at the Holy Protection Russian Orthodox church in Royalton

Other southern Illinois villages with Orthodox churches included the towns of Benld, Buckner, and Grand Tower. ^{[4] [20]}

Style

The church is a Byzantine-style domed church with a white and gold interior. ^[9] The church contains traditional Orthodox iconography, some by the hand of the iconographer Alexander Sokolov, as well as a grotto with a mosaic of the Theotokos. ^[18]

Next to the church is located a church hall and rectory.

References

1. "Parish History".
2. "Bishop Paul presides at 100th Anniversary of Protection Church, Royalton, IL".
3. "Royalton Churches". Archived from the original on March 22, 2020.
4. ""Shadows of the Motherland"". Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
5. Terry Alliband (1980). Expressions: Folkways in Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois University Carbondale. p. 11.
6. Paul Robert Magocsi (July 30, 2005). Our People: Carpatho-Rusyns and Their Descendants in North America. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. p. 18. ISBN   978-0865166110.
7. >Smith, David (July 1978). The Russians of Buckner (Master of Arts thesis). Southern Illinois University. OCLC   8044617.
8. Fredman, Alan (22 Jun 1980). "American Russians Seldom Go Back". Southern Illinoisan.
9. Mary Pat Flaherty (April 25, 1976). "Russian Orthodox Easter is Today". Southern Illinoisan. p. 4.
10. Barb Leebens (December 22, 1974). "Christmas on December 25th?". Southern Illinoisan. p. 2.
11. Allen, John (Jul 30, 1964). "The Longest Way Around". Alton Evening Telegraph. p. 8.
12. Frances Van Cleve (August 7, 1959). "Russian Orthodox Church Unique In Area". Southern Illinoisan. p. 5.
13. "The last of a bye gone era, Muddy Russian Orthodox Church is no more". Southern Illinois Unearthed.
14. Malkovich, Becky. "Royalton church an edifice to Christ, sacrifice" . Retrieved Oct 25, 2009.
15. "Franklin Coal and Coke Company Royalton North No. 1 Mine Explosion".
16. "Royalton Church Observes 101 Years Since Fatal Mine Disaster". Southern Illinoisan.
17. Hale, Caleb. "Royalton church remembers those lost in 1914 mine explosion" . Retrieved Oct 27, 2009.
18. "Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Church". Archived from the original on March 24, 2016.
19. "The Small Neighbor". Southern Illinoisan. January 11, 1990.
20. Brian Duneal. "Muddy's Russian Orthodox Church may soon be a memory" (PDF).