DESLOGE -  When Nancy Steck rises to read the liturgy for worship at her church this morning and every Sunday morning, she remembers little girls in pretty pink dresses.  Decades ago, she was one of them.

"There were 11 of us - 9 girls and 2 boys in my family," she explained. "We girls would dress up in pink dresses and walk to church. We were here for Vespers on Saturday night, Sunday morning church and Vespers at night."

Mary Market’s family of 8 brothers and sisters rode on a train from Bonne Terre to Desloge to come to church.

Roy Lukachick’s family of 10 siblings sometimes walked to church with their parents — all the way from Hurryville, several miles away.

They went to The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Desloge. Then, as many as 500 parishioners were part of the congregation — most of them of Russian descent from Galicia and Austria-Hungary.

"At Christmas, we would sing the Russian carols," said Ms. Steck. "At Easter we would decorate the tomb of Jesus. These are the beautiful things you remember."

Now, these three and about nine others are among the little church’s only members.

Rich Heritage

The people who established St. Mary’s Parish had come to America in search of jobs and religious freedom. Since they were miners, the lead mines of Missouri drew them here.

The church is part of the Orthodox Church of America, based in New York. There are only eight such churches in Missouri. According to the Orthodox Church of America Web site, by 1906 there was a Uniate Church in Desloge. Such churches are a community of eastern Christians who are in union with the Roman Catholic church, but retain their own language and customs.

In 1908, Fr. John Gratson arrived to start up an Orthodox parish. The National Lead Company donated the land for the Church, the rectory, and the nearby cemetery. The current church was built that same year at 400 Tyler Street at a cost of $5,000.

According to St. Mary’s history, the first couple in the parish to be married were Wasyl Sosiak and Mary Posipanko.

By 1916, the membership had grown to 320, with 53 children in the Church school, which met daily when public schools weren't in season.

When anti-immigrant sentiment came to a head in July 1917,  miners rioted and drove out a significant portion of the foreign-born miners - many of whom were St. Mary’s parishioners. By 1918 the membership count was 75, and it never went up again. For 50 years, there was no priest to serve the dwindling congregation. In 1986, Fr. Joseph Fester arrived, and during his nine years as rector he revitalized the life of the congregation and refurbished the interior of the church.

To look inside, with its beautiful, ornate icons on every wall and 14 pictures of saints that line the way to the altar, it’s hard to imagine there’s room for a crowd of worshipers. But, as was their church's custom, they stood throughout the service. Twelve pews were installed just a few years ago.

"Some of us can’t stand that long anymore," said Mr. Lukachick.

There was no heat for many years. Now, two gas heaters keep worshipers warm. Electric lights came a few years earlier. Before that, the crowd had worshiped by candlelight. A chandelier of candles hangs at the center of the sanctuary. There are candles throughout that the parishioners light in memory of the dead and in prayer for the living.

The pine floors are original to the church, as is the pressed tin ceiling. There are three-bar crosses throughout the church and a cupola, painted white, with another cross on top of the building. The three-bar cross is the traditional design of Russian Orthodox Churches.

The altar is at the center of the front of the church behind a closed gate. Only the priest is allowed behind the gate during worship.

Words from the Bible are read now in English. They used to be read in Russian. A book of the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ written in Russian is reverently placed on a table.

"That’s why a lot of the people left the church," said Mrs. Market. "They could not understand what was read."

Mr. Lukachick admits, he didn’t understand it, either, but his family sometimes quoted it.

"We were 'Hillbilly Russian,'" he said with a chuckle.

Nancy Steck said though they didn’t know the language, they knew of the words' importance.

"The faith was instilled in us, even if we couldn’t understand the words," she said. "It means everything to us. You gain a lot of strength from it."

They sing without instruments, making music from the words of The Psalms and the Beatitudes from the Bible. They sing the Prokeimenon and the Kontakia. They sing Antiphons — words rich in the history of their faith.

Ms. Steck reads the Bible verses and leads the congregation in singing on three Sundays each month. Rev. Michael Abranas is the pastor. Greg Market is the deacon.

"We’re known as the church beside the tennis courts," said Ms. Steck.

Uncertain future

Most of the descendants of the first families of the church have moved away. Others have joined other churches. All but three of the 12 members who attend regularly now are elderly. But they don’t foresee a time when the little church will close its doors forever.

"We ring the bell every Sunday," said Mr. Lukachick, as he pulled the rope just inside the church’s front door to sound the bell just once. "It used to be two of us who would go up in the tower and ring two bells.  We couldn’t do that now."

Once, the congregation used to take part in the Desloge Labor Day Picnic, selling baked goods. Now, the trio of friends say they do well to keep the services going every week.

The last wedding in the church was when Susan and Phillip Moser renewed their vows a couple of years ago. The last funeral was for Ed Harter over a year ago. Nobody remembers the last baptism.

"We are going to hang on as long as we can," said Ms. Steck softly. "Our parents would be proud of us. We put our heart and soul into this."

She said priests and others who have visited the church have been surprised by how well they’ve been able to keep it up.

The church marked its 100th birthday with services and fellowship on Sept. 28. It seemed a little like old times when about 150 family and friends came to worship.

At the end of their printed program for the anniversary are written two phrases.

Minohaya Lyeta - God grant you many years.

Vechnaya Pamyat -Memory eternal to all the departed loves ones.

"Our doors are always open on Sundays," said Nancy Steck. "Our priest comes on the fourth Sunday of each month. But every Sunday at 10 a.m., we have the liturgy. We’ll do that for as long as we can keep it going."

Donna Hickman is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact her at 431-2010, ext. 138 or at dhickman@dailyjournalonline.com.

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