St. Seraphim Cathedral (Dallas) facts for kids
Saint Seraphim Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church located in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, Texas. It is one of the main churches for the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the South. The cathedral is named after Saint Seraphim of Sarov, a well-known saint.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
The story of Saint Seraphim Cathedral began in 1954. A small group of people who had recently joined the Orthodox faith wanted to start a new church. They wanted to hold services in English in Dallas.
Starting the Church in Dallas
Two key people, Father Ilya Rudolph Rangel and Subdeacon Dmitri Royster, looked for a place to start their church. They found a property with a house at McKinney Avenue and Blackburn Street. The house cost $15,000. Since they didn't have much money, they asked for help from Mr. Paul Raigorodsky. He was a member of another Orthodox church nearby.
.jpg)
Mr. Raigorodsky helped them get a loan from a bank to buy the property. The property was bought in the name of Saint Seraphim's Church. English services began in June 1954. Father Ilya led some services, including Sunday evening prayers and a monthly morning service. Father Ilya and Subdeacon Dmitri built a special screen for icons (called an iconostasis) and set up a small chapel on the first floor of the house.
Later, the property was transferred to another church, but both groups used the chapel. In January 1955, they worked to fix up and paint both floors of the house. Another priest, Father Hilarion Madison, joined the church to help Father Dmitri.
Growing and Moving
In March 1955, Father Dmitri and Father Hilarion also started a mission in Fort Worth. They held services there to help more Orthodox people.
To better serve its mission as an English-speaking church for people from all backgrounds, Saint Seraphim's Church decided to get its own property again. They bought a house at 4203 Newton Avenue. They changed the house into a chapel, meeting room, office, and kitchen. This building was used until a new church was built in 1961. The old house then became a parish hall for church events. In 1962, they bought the house next door to use as a home for the priest.
By 1963, the church had grown from just 3 people to about 125 members. About 75 people attended Sunday services regularly. They also had a Sunday School for children. Services were held often during the week and on Sundays.
Saint Seraphim Cathedral Today
In July 1978, Saint Seraphim's Church became a cathedral. This happened when the Diocese of the South was created. Bishop Dmitri, who helped start the church, became its leader and the bishop of the new diocese.
As of June 2021, the main priest (rector) is Bishop Gerasim (Eliel) of Ft. Worth. He also helps manage the whole diocese.
The cathedral has added new buildings over time. Plans for a new chapel and bell tower were made in 2013. The chapel is now finished and is connected to the main building. It is named after the Resurrection and is the resting place for Archbishop Dmitri, who was very important in starting and growing the church and the diocese.
