Our parish was formally organized in 1895 and personally supported by the last czar of Imperial Russia, St. Czar Nicholas II, who declared: "Let there be an Orthodox Church in Galveston." To this day, our parish houses the same beautiful icons and gospel book donated by the czar himself.
Our parish is also the resting place of the great Rev. Archimandrite Theoclitos (Triantafilides), the czar's childhood tutor who is buried beneath the altar and considered by some to be a saint.
From our inception, we have been a diverse and multi-ethnic parish welcoming Orthodox faithful and interested visitors from all backgrounds.
V. Rev. Fr. Srdjan (Serge) Veselinovich
Our beloved Father Srdjan was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1968 and his family moved to Australia in 1969. Srdjan completed seminary studies at St. Sava in New Gracanica, Third Lake, IL in 1990. In the same year, while in Australia, Srdjan married his wife Tanya (Vukotic-Fleming) and later they were blessed with the birth of their daughter Rebecca.
On the Feast of Theophany in 1991, Srdjan was ordained to the holy diaconate; and to the holy priesthood on January 20, 1991 in Australia by Bishop Basil (Veinovic). Father Srdjan served in two churches in Australia. After the church reconciliation in 1992 he was received into the Midwestern Metropolitanate under His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher in 1994 and served in St. Archangel Michael Church in Hibbing, MN, then transferred to the Sts. Constantine and Helen Church in Galveston, TX. Father Srdjan served in Galveston for a total of twenty-three years and was elevated to Proto-Presbyter. He completed a two-year Masters in Theology program at University of St. Thomas in Houston in 1999. In 2009, Proto Srdjan was elevated to Very Reverend Stavrophore. In 2019 Father Srdjan came to Chicago where he served the Holy Resurrection Church on Palmer Square for over two yearsbefore being transferred to St. George Church in Indiana Harbor.
In September of 2024, Father Srdjan returned to Galveston to continue serving the Sts. Constantine and Helen Church. This is the second oldest Serbian church in the U.S. and from its inception it has been a multi-ethnic parish welcoming Orthodox faithful and interested visitors from all backgrounds.
Fr. Srdjan serves Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 10am, which is followed by fellowship and lunch in the church hall. He is available for confessions and spiritual direction, as well as to answer questions from inquirers.
His Eminence, Metropolitan Longin of New Gračanica-Midwestern America
His Eminence resides in Libertyville, Illinois, and maintains an official diocesan office at the Protection of the Theotokos/New Gračanica Monastery.
During the Holy Assembly of Bishops (May 14 – 18, 2024) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, the Sabor decided that the title of the diocesan hierarch of the Diocese of New Gracanica-Midwestern America, headquartered at the Monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville or at the Monastery of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God (New Gracanica) at Third Lake, henceforth reads: His Eminence Archbishop of New Gracanica – Chicago and Metropolitan of Midwestern America.
For more information about the diocese, please visit www.newgracanica.org. For more information about the Serbian Orthodox Church in America, please visit www.serborth.org.
His Grace, Bishop Serafim of Kostajnica
Bishop Serafim (Baltić) was born on May 7, 1978, in Zagreb to Veljko and Radojka and baptized with the name Bojan. His family originates from Banija. He completed his primary education and three years of high school in Electrical Engineering in Zagreb. However, due to the war in August 1995, he relocated to Florida, USA, where he finished high school and earned a degree in Information Technology.
While in the United States, he met Elder Ephraim of Philotheou, an Athonite elder whose spiritual influence would deeply impact his life. This encounter led him to explore various Orthodox monasteries in the United States, Serbia, and Greece. In the late 1990s, he met Bishop Longin (Krčo) of the Serbian Orthodox Church, whose blessing guided his monastic path. In 2003, he entered the New Gračanica Monastery and enrolled in Holy Trinity Seminary (ROCOR) in Jordanville, graduating magna cum laude in 2008.
During his seminary years, Bishop Serafim was tonsured as a monk in 2006 at New Gračanica Monastery and ordained as a hierodeacon that same year. After completing his theological studies, he was ordained as a hieromonk in 2008 by Bishop Longin. During his monastic service, he translated the works of St. Nikolai Velimirovich into English. In 2010, he spent six months at the Monastery of Hilandar on Mount Athos to deepen his understanding of Athonite monasticism.
Upon returning to the U.S., Bishop Serafim undertook various pastoral roles, including youth ministry at diocesan camps, teaching at Saint Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, and serving as steward of the mission parish of Saint Petka in Nashville. Since 2015, he served as the secretary of the New Gračanica-Midwestern American Diocese and completed an MBA degree. In late 2020, he was sent by Bishop Longin to Serbia for further service at the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in Kovilj, and from 2021 to August 2024, he served at the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Milwaukee.
On May 18, 2024, during the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Serafim was elected as Vicar to the Metropolitan of Midwestern America with the title of Bishop of Kostajnica. His consecration was held on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar, officiated by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.
Parish President: Dr. Zoran Cupic
713-294-9758 | zcupic@mbjc.net
1st Vice President: Katarina Jegdic
217-377-6585 | jegdick@gmail.com
2nd Vice President: Drazen Minic
806-283-2692 | draz31@gmail.com
Please contact Katarina or Drazen for questions about board membership, planned giving, or events at the parish.
Kolo Srpskih Sestara (The Ladies Club) President: Jagoda Vujnovic
832-614-2362 | jagodavujnovic@gmail.com
Please contact Jagoda for questions about KSS membership and activities.
Volunteer/Edu. Coordinator: Bethany Powell
832-589-9908 | lovinbeachlivin@yahoo.com
Please contact Bethany to volunteer for any of the activities of the church, or with questions about our Sunday School programs.
Cemetery Manager: Mimo Milosevic
281-433-5309 | mimo1022@gmail.com
Please contact Mimo if you are interested in buying a cemetery plot or brick on our processional path.
Send us a message! We'd love to hear from you!
Physical Address:
4109 Avenue L
Galveston, Tx 77550
Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 3280
Galveston,TX 77552
Phone: 832-630-4262
Email: father@orthodoxgalveston.org
