Sights, sounds of Old World culture energize ethnic pride in Youngstown

July 31, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Lamb, paprikash, Serbian goulash and delicious little sausages made of lamb, pork and beef called Serbian cevapcici, served along with traditional Serbian music by Orkestar Braco, combined with sunshine and moderate temperatures to make the 85th annual Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church picnic/festival one to enjoy and remember.

“It helps bring you back to your cultural roots,” said Nick Mitkovich, vice president of the church and general chairman of the festival for 30 years. Also, he said the festival, which falls on the last Sunday in July, is the church’s top summer fundraiser. All proceeds go to the church, he said.

“Our member base has about a 50-mile radius,” said Mit- kovich, a Lordstown resident and 2008 retiree of the General Motors Lordstown Complex. “It was a great work life. It put my daughter through college and built my home,” he said.

“We come to the festival every year for the food and to see people and help the church,” said Svetlana and Mike Neskovich of Girard, who are members of the church at 39 Laird St. on the West Side.

“Your friends are here,’’ Mike said.

“You get to see people and help the church and preserve traditions like eating paprikash, a dish of onions and egg-dumplings in sauce,” said Jovica Solic of Austintown.

It was a beautiful day and turnout, and we sold most of our food,” said Mike Andjelkovich, cochairman of the picnic, who noted that the annual foodfest was originally took place at Idora Park.

Like many churches, the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church struggles to keep its music program together.

The choir has only a handful of regular members, including its president, Phyllis Kulics, and her husband, Terry, its director. Two other musical stalwarts are Barb Rogich and Daisy Doerr.

The priest of the church for 18 months, Father Bosko Stojanovic, was enjoying his second annual picnic.

“It does raise money and presents our food and music, but more importantly it gets people together,” he said.

“The lamb is sold out. You get an awesome one-pound serving,” said Youngstown Councilman Mike Ray, representative of the 4th Ward in which the church resides.

“It’s fun to see and feel the flavor of the neighborhood and harken back to when the nearby steel mills were booming,” he said.