When in Woonsocket this weekend, do as the Romanians do

WOONSOCKET – Authentic mititei (grilled Romanian sausage), fresh baklava and traditional Romanian and Macedonian folk dance will highlight the Romanian and Macedonian American Annual Festival, a two-day festival to be held July 23-24 at St. John Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church on East School Street.

The festival will be held Saturday, July 23 from 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday, July 24 from 12:30 to 7 p.m. Admission is free.

One of the biggest Romanian festivals of its kind in Northern Rhode Island, the festival grounds at 501 East School St. will be teeming with activity, including ethnic and American music and dancing.

The St. John the Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church is a parish under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America.

“This festival has been held for many decades and is one of the church’s biggest annual events,” said Nicholas Gassey, president of the parish council.

There will also be plenty of traditional homemade Romanian and Mediterranean foods prepared by parish chefs available over the festival weekend, including lamb and chicken shish-kebab, Mititei (grilled Romanian sausage), Sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), home baked ethnic pastries and sweets, Cozonac (sweet bread), spinach and cheese pita, baklava, apple strudel, Romanian wine and more.

All of the meats are purchased locally at Shaw’s Meat Market in Woonsocket and will be marinated on skewers for two days before they are grilled by Joe Galvao and Marius Radu, the festival’s grill masters on Saturday, and father-and-son team, George and Jack Trutza, who will cook the shish-kebabs on Sunday.

A highlight of the festival is the pastries made by the women of the church. Offerings will include Baklava (fillo pastry) and apple strudel. The baking of the pastries and cooking of the sarmarle was coordinated by Psa. Anca Morar, the wife of Rev. Onisie Morar, pastor of St. John Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church, Crina Lutai, Mihaela Iovanel and Georgeta Gassey.

All the preparation, planning, baking and cooking for the popular festival begins weeks in advance by a core group of parishioners who volunteer each year to cook and bake for the festival.

There will also be plenty of games and activities for children of all ages, as well as raffles, church tours and souvenirs.

St. John Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church is known for its beautifully detailed stained glass windows, which was a special project initiated by Ladies Auxiliary and personally supervised by various members. Parishioners in 1970 donated individual windows to complete the entire set presently visible in the church.

Rev. Morar left Romania in 1991 to establish a church in Pennsylvania before coming to Woonsocket in 1995 to lead the 70-member parish at St. John Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012.

Follow Joseph Fitzgerald on Twitter @jofitz7