In the beginning of the twentieth century, many Serbians migrated to the USA looking for a better life. They left behind their impoverished and war-torn homeland and sometimes their immediate families to find jobs that would help them sustain their loved ones with them and back home in Serbia. That is how they found themselves in the State of Utah. Most of them were blue collar workers, performing manual labor, mining and construction jobs. Early in the twentieth century, in the town of Midvale, they established a parish dedicated to St. Archangel Michael. Unfortunately, after many years, the parish was dissolved due to lack of membership. Besides a few records that are dearly safeguarded and an old parish graveyard, there are not many written records from that time.
Many years later after a new wave of religious, political and economic immigrants from former Yugoslavia moved to Salt Lake City, St Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church was re-established in 1997. In 2006, after almost ten years of struggles, the parish purchased a building with the intention of providing a place for church services, cultural and other communal activities. One of the settlers from early twentieth century, Sofia Piedmont Lovrich, a great lady and a true Christian soul, found out about the parish. With great joy at the age of 98, speaking perfect Serbian even though she had never visited the land of her ancestors, started attending church services. In 2010, before this great soul departed this life, in her last will, she included the parish as a recipient of a generous contribution. This helped the parish pay off the mortgage on the church building and start a new chapter in its life. Today, there are approximately 100 Serbian families living in Utah.
