Kalispell, Montana, May 22, 2026
Photo: Orthodox Kalispell A Serbian Orthodox parish in Kalispell, Montana, has broken ground on a new church building dedicated to St. Herman of Alaska.
The parish announced the milestone on social media on May 20, marking the beginning of construction at the new property.
“By God’s grace we are breaking ground at our new church property!” the church wrote, including a prayer from the Troparion of Founding: “O God, Fashioner and Creator of all things, speedily guide aright with Thy blessing the work of our hands which begun unto Thy glory. And through Thy might quickly bring it to fulfillment, for Thou alone art almighty and the Lover of Mankind.”
St. Herman Orthodox Church was established as a mission parish of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the Feast of Pentecost in June 2014. The formal blessing of the parish by diocesan hierarch Bishop Maxim came after nearly four years of work and prayer by the faithful, along with the missionary vision of Fr. Russell Radoicich and his family from Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte, Montana.
The parish began humbly, with a small group of faithful gathering in a tiny apartment. Over time, the community grew into what the parish describes as a diverse and dynamic church family. The congregation later transformed an old, rundown temple on Kalispell’s Westside into an Orthodox Christian church, which was blessed by Bishop Maxim and hallowed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the presence of sacred relics, and the ordination of a priest.
The parish has been under the leadership of Fr. Panayiotis Tekosis since August 2021.
According to the parish, its mission follows Christ’s commandment to “go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” and to make disciples by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The community also emphasizes the inner transformation of its members, striving to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds” and to become “partakers of the Divine nature.”
The groundbreaking represents a new chapter for the young parish as it continues to grow and serve the Orthodox Christian community in northwestern Montana.
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe and Gab!
