Descent of the Holy Ghost

Christ is Risen!

Indeed He is Risen!

Hristos a Inviat!

Adeverat a Inviat!

Celebrating 104 years in September of 2012

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Thank you. May God be with you always.

Welcome to Descent of the Holy Ghost

Welcome to the website for Descent of the Holy Ghost Orthodox Church here in Merrillville, IN. We are an English speaking church seeking to communicate the ancient Orthodox Christian faith in a relevant manner to our community.

If you are not familiar with the Orthodox Christian faith &/or worship please feel free to join in or not to the degree that you feel comfortable. We know that it may feel quite different from what you have experienced in other places. It would be our privilege and honor to answer any questions you may have. Several of us here at Descent are from non-Orthodox backgrounds.

If you are an Orthodox Christian you will feel right at home in our Divine Liturgy. While there may be some differences in "tradition" there are no differences in "Traditions" that form the backbone of the Orthodox worship experience and culture.

Whatever your background we pray that you will feel welcome here at Descent of the Holy Ghost. May the Lord God bless you each and every day!

In Christ,

Father Thomas Frisby

History of Romanian Orthodox Church in Northwest IN

Many Romanian immigrants found their way to Northwest Indiana in the early 1900's. The community of faithful Romanians in Gary soon felt a need to come together and establish the church on October 11, 1908.

The first Divine Liturgy was on December 25, 1908. The work of the church continued and the cornerstone of the new church, located at Hayes and 19th Streets was consecrated on October 31, 1909.

The Gary Romanian Orthodox Community continued their spiritual growth and began looking for a new place to worship. In 1961 they began to organize a building fund drive to raise money for a new church. The fund raising efforts continued and by March 18, 1963 the Parish House at 6075 Harrison Street and the property for the church was purchased at the current Merrillville. On March 7, 1967 a building committee was formed and the community began planning their new facility. It wasn't too long that the cornerstone was consecrated they broke ground.

The facility finally saw completion with the consecration of the church on September 29-30, 1973 where the faithful community continues to worship.

We continue to pray for those who prepared the way for us at every Liturgy and honor their memory and our Romanian heritage. Today, when you come to visit our parish, you will hear the hymns and prayers of our ancient faith – the Faith of the Apostles – in English.

We pray that God will continue to guide us and grant us victories as Orthodox Chirstians in North America for many more years.

On Looking for the Holy Spirit

As soon as they had completed their supplications, they signed them,
having sealed them with faith and sent them on high.

Their Teacher read them and said,

'Of your own free will, O Paraclete, under no order, but as you wish, descend.'

For the disciples, whom I gathered for you and the Father, await you,
the ones whom I instructed when I said, Make disciples of the nations
proclaiming the Father, honoring the Son and praising
the All-Holy Spirit.

St. Romanos the Melodist, Kontakia on the Life of Christ, Kontakion on Pentecost #6, Archimandrite Ephrem Lash (tr), Harper Collins Publishers, San Francisco, CA, p. 211.

Words of Wisdom from the Fathers

People can do me no evil, as long as I have no wounds.

I saw two caves, one of which revealed an echo, while the other had none. And many curious children were visiting the former and were mischievously carrying out shouting matches with the cave. But from the other cave visitors were quickly returning, because it was not answering them with an echo.

If my soul is wounded, every worldly evil will resound within it. And people will laugh at me, and will throng more and more strongly with their shouting.

But truly, evil-speaking people will not harm me, if my tongue has forgotten how to speak evil.

Nor will external malice sadden me, if there is no malice in my heart to resound like a goatskin drum.

Nor shall I be able to respond to ire with ire, if the lair of ire within me has been vacated and there is nothing to be aroused.

Nor will passions titillate me, if the passions within me have been reduced to ashes.

Nor will the unfaithfulness of friends sadden me, if I have resolved to have You for my friend.

Nor can the injustice of the world crush me, if injustice has been expelled from my thoughts.

Nor will the deceitful spirits of worldly pleasure, honor, and power entice me, if my soul is like an immaculate bride, who receives only the Holy Spirit and yearns for Him alone.

People cannot shove anyone into hell, unless that person shoves himself. Nor can people hoist anyone up on their shoulders to the throne of God, unless that person elevates himself.

If my soul has no open windows, no mud can be thrown into it.

Let all nature rise up against me; it can do nothing to me except a single thing--to become the grave of my body more swiftly.

Every worldly crop is covered with fertilizer, so that it will sprout as soon as possible and grow better. If my soul, alas, were to abandon her virginity and receive the seed of this world into herself, then she would also have to accept the manure, which the world throws onto its field.

But I call upon You day and night: come dwell in my soul and close all those places where my enemies can enter. Make the cavern of my soul empty and silent, so that no one from the world will want to enter it.

O my soul, my only concern, be on guard and learn to distinguish between the voices striking your ears. And once you hear the voice of your Lord, abandon your silence and resound with all your strength.

O my soul, cavern of eternity, never permit temporal thieves to enter you and kindle their fire within you. Keep quiet, when they shout to you. Stay still, when they bang on you. And patiently await your Master. For He will truly come.

Bishop Saint Nikolai Velimirovich, Prayers by the Lake, XLIII