Trumbull, Connecticut, June 30, 2025
Photo: stgeorgetrumbull.org
St. George Orthodox Church of the Albanian Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America in Trumbull, Connecticut, celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this month.
The centenary was celebrated on Sunday, June 22, led by His Grace Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese. He was joined by OCA clergy from Connecticut and Massachusetts, including Fr. Sergei Bouteneff, who served as rector of St. George’s from 1989 to 2010, the parish reports.
In honor of the anniversary, the Archdiocese gifted the church a relic of its patron, which was placed in a new icon of St. George.
After the Liturgy, a short service was held with a procession and the blessing of the relics and icon. The service was livestreamed:
That afternoon, an anniversary banquet was held with appetizers, dinner, and dancing.
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Photo: stgeorgetrumbull.org
St. George Church was founded by Albanian immigrants who arrived in the Bridgeport area around 1890-1900. The first Orthodox services in Albanian were held on Palm Sunday, April 12, 1925, at Saint John Episcopal Church, organized by The Saint Thomas Albanian Church Society of Bridgeport.
The community formed two key organizations: the Ylli (The Star) men’s social club in in 1929 and the Queen Teuta Ladies Society in 1931, both crucial in fundraising and community building.
In 1935, Fr. Vasil Mandi offered to serve without compensation, leading to the establishment of permanent services in a rented bank hall. The church moved several times before purchasing St. Peter’s Roman Catholic church on Howard Avenue in 1937 for $7,500.
Metropolitan Fan S. Noli consecrated the church as St. George on September 5, 1938, naming it in honor of major donor George Dionis. The mortgage was paid off within a year through community sacrifice.
After decades on Howard Avenue, the parish faced legal challenges when attempting to build in Trumbull in the late 1960s. The court case lasted eight years until 1977. Services were temporarily held at other Orthodox churches until the new church was ready in 1979.
The new St. George Church was consecrated on April 20, 1980, by Bishop Mark of Boston. By the 1980s, the parish had transformed from an all-Albanian congregation to a diverse Orthodox community with services 97% in English.
Notable rectors included Father Sergei Bouteneff (1989-2010), who emphasized outreach and charity work, including aid to Albania after communism’s fall and assistance during the Kosovo crisis, and Fr. Dennis Rhodes (2010-2018), who focused on spirituality, education, and continued charitable work.
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