THE MISSIONARY.
Pittsburgh
Thursday, March 22, 1860
A ‘Serbian” Church
The Gospel was first preached by or ministers in this country in Dutch and Swedish. The German and English followed, and for a century, with few
exceptions, they officiated in these languages. Fifteen years ago, the Norwegian was first used, and after it, the Swedish. To these are added the
Bohemian, and Serbian, or Wendish. It needs not a prophet’s eye to predict, that before ten years we will have churches and pastors of various other
nationalities from the Old World. The continued persecutions and restrictions of the Protestant Church in Austria, Hungary, and Russia, will direct
the eye of our brethren to this favored land. A commencement once made to emigrate, the tide will flow on, and though it may be checked for a season,
it will break over all barriers and pour a stream of fresh and earnest life upon our shores.
This colony of Sorbians emigrated to this country about five years ago, along with a German colony from Silesia, at the instance and under the
pastoral care of Rev. J. Kilian. They had suffered much from Government officials on account of their strict Lutheranism, and on the determination of
their pastor to emigrate to the United States, several hundred persons resolved to accompany him. The sufferings of the poor people from cholera and
ship-fever on the voyage were inconceivably awful. When already several days at sea, the vessel had to return to port on account of the pestilence.
The mortality was frightful, both on ship board and in the hospitals. On their arrival in Galveston, Texas, they walked into the very jaws of death.
The yellow fever was just at its height, and enfeebled as many were by disease, they fell by scores before the plague. Those who survived escaped as
quickly as possible to Houston, where it also broke out, and from thence they scattered over the country, most of them, however, settling at various
localities in Bastrop county. Here they have lived and labored with their faithful pastor in the midst of great poverty and privation, owing mainly to
the repeated failure of their crops. But the tide appears at last to have turned in their favor. The worst of their difficulties are over, and both
the Serbian and German colonists are increasing by fresh emigrations from the fatherland.
The Serbian colony now numbers 50 families who with much exertions and sacrifice, have completed a neat church and parsonage. The church is 50 feet
in length by 25 in breadth, and 15 feet in height. The cornerstone was laid on the 10th of October, 1859, and the consecration took place last
Christmas. While the heads of families were engaged in the building, the young men were occupied in raising money to purchase an organ, and the young
women in furnishing the chancel. In both these things they were quite successful.
The day of consecration was season of unspeakable satisfaction to these worthy people. From the Lutheraner, we learn, that at an early hour, the
congregation, preceded by the pastor, walked in procession from the parsonage – one wing of which had heretofore been occupied for church and school
purposes – to the new sanctuary. The services were opened with a Sorbian hymn and the liturgy in the same language. After an address at the altar by
the pastor, Rev. J. Kilian, in which the church to be consecrated was designated as the “First Serbian Lutheran Church in Texas,” a hymn was sung, and
the dedicatory prayer was offered on bended knee. A sermon from the Epistle for the day followed, and a hymn, with the collection and benediction,
closed the Serbian services. In view of the fact that many Germans and Americans were present, the pastor read at the altar and address to the
Americans – “his first attempt in the English language” – and preached a German sermon, which, with other exercises in the same language, concluded
the solemnities of this joyful occasion.
It may not be generally known that we have three little Serbian orphans in the Home and Farm School- one having died – whose parents were among the
victims to the yellow fever on their arrival in Texas. They were sent to us by the German Luth. missionary in Houston, in charge of a widow woman
whose husband also died at the same time. Many of the above particulars of their trials have been obtained from her, and will be found, in the main,
to be reliable.
It will be interesting to those of our readers who are curious in such things, to see a specimen of the Sorbian language. We have in our possession
a copy of the Hymn Book belonging to the parents of these orphans – the sole memorial, alas! of their father and mother. The title page is as
follows:
Duchomne
Kyrluschowe Kushi
Bohu Kcjesti a Serbian Kunzitkw.
Wohn date
w Budissin
1854
The hymns are principally translations from the German, and are sung to the old German melodies. The 61st is as follows:
Von Himmel Hoch, etc
Ja snebess delge pschinden kwam,
Tes dobre nowingja mam,
Scho dobre zuwan powedacs
A mot teho tak saspjewaca.
Dzen awam je saredjile,
Stzo mot jenj Knezny dzjeczatko,
To dsjeczatko je luboyne
A weaselje wam pschinessee.”
We have copied these verses, to give our readers a slight introduction to their Slavonic brethren in Texas, the first of these old Slavic nations,
from which the immigrants have found their way to the new world. They are one with us in their faith of Christ. Let them share in the sympathies and
prayers of American brethren.
Transcribed by Weldon Mersiovsky
