IN THE NEWS: Oklahoma, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois
Bixby, OK: Growing Holy Apostles Church doubles worship space
As the membership of Holy Apostles Church, Bixby, OK has grown, so has the need to expand the parish’s church building.
“Eighty-five to ninety people now fill the nave during the Sunday Liturgy,” said Priest Ambrose Arrington, who has served as the parish’s Rector since 2004. “It feels pretty crowded, but it’s a good problem to have!”
The expansion project includes doubling the size of the nave and enlarging the narthex. The parish also recently purchased an additional three acres, bringing its total property to nearly 11 acres on which the church, a fellowship hall and rectory stand.
Established as a mission in 2003, the parish first met in a store front. When Father Ambrose arrived the following year, attendance totaled a dozen souls, nearly half of whom were members of his own family. As the community steadily attracted new members, the need for a permanent home became evident. The Bixby property on the outskirts of Tulsa was purchased and a chapel, in which Father Ambrose celebrated the first service in September 2007, was built.
“People are coming to the church for a variety of reasons,” Father Ambrose observed in reflecting on the community’s growth. “Some people find in the Orthodox Church something that is more traditional and that will not change in the future. People who come because they are unhappy with their own tradition will eventually become unhappy with a new one and will leave again. You can’t base your faith on negativity. You have to come to the Church because you find life, you find fullness, you find Christ.”
With the completion of the expansion project in the immediate future, Father Ambrose and the Holy Apostles faithful look forward to beginning yet another new chapter in their parish’s expansion.
Detroit, MI: Holy Trinity Church to celebrate centennial October 3-4
His Grace, Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest will join Archpriest Lev Kopistiansky and the faithful of Holy Trinity Church, Detroit, MI for the celebration of their parish’s centennial October 3-4, 2015.
The weekend will begin on Saturday with the celebration of a Service of Prayer before the Myrrhstreaming Icon of Saint Anna, the Mother of the Virgin Mary, which will be brought to Detroit from Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA where it is enshrined. Bishop Paul will anoint the faithful with myrrh from the icon. A reception will follow, after which Great Vespers will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. On Sunday morning, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:00 a.m. Matushka Victoria Kopistiansky will direct the Holy Trinity Choir at all services. The centennial banquet will follow services at the Gazebo Banquet Center, 3114 Mound Road, Warren, MI. Banquet tickets may be reserved by contacting Mary Ann Dadich at 586-498-9096 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Additional information may be found on the parish’s web site.
Established by Russian and Ukrainian-speaking immigrants in 1915, the first Holy Trinity Church stood at the corner of Goddard and Meade Streets. The original wood frame building survives on the site. After World War II, the parish’s growth created the need for a new and much larger church. In 1949, the parish purchased its current site. On July 31, 1955, ground was broken for the new church and rectory. The church features an exceptionally handsome blend of traditional Byzantine and classic Russian architectural elements. Construction was completed in April 1959, with the first service celebrated in the new church on Pascha, May 3, 1959.
Uniondale, PA: Ss. Peter and Paul Church celebrates 95 years of ministry
The faithful of Saints Peter and Paul Church, Uniondale, PA, celebrated their parish’s 95th Anniversary on Saturday, 6 June 2015. His Eminence, Archbishop Mark of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, celebrated the Divine Liturgy with Archpriests John Kowalczyk and Michael Evans, Priest John Nightingale, and Deacon Theodore Gregory. A celebratory banquet followed at Saint Michael’s Center, Jermyn, PA. In attendance at the Liturgy was His Beatitude, retired Metropolitan Herman, who had served the parish as a priest for many years.
The parish was initially founded by faithful from the Austro-Hungarian Empire who, after working in the coal mines for a number of years, turned to farming in Wayne County, PA. In 1904, with the blessing of the Archbishop Saint Tikhon, Afton Bock donated land on which a church was to be erected in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. A cemetery also was established. The new parish’s spiritual needs initially were under the guidance of monks from Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA.
As the community grew, the need for a larger and more centrally located church became evident. In time, Alex Kowalchuk offered 1 1/2 acres of land, upon which the present church, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, stands. The old church was dismantled and its lumber was used to build a rectory. In 1920, Hieromonk Joseph [Novak] blessed the foundation, initially celebrating services in the basement structure which had been roofed over. By 1923 the church was completed. Five years later, Father Nicholas Gress was assigned as the parish’s first resident pastor. A hall was erected in 1931, while a new rectory was built in the late 1940s. Many improvements to the property were made in successive decades.
While many of the original members and families have passed on or moved away over the years, the parish’s faithful, in their enthusiasm, continue to offer an Orthodox Christian witness and presence in its rural setting that is likely to continue for many years to come.
Chicago, IL: Iconography blessed at Christ the Savior Church
On Sunday, August 16, 2015, a large “pan-Orthodox” crowd of faithful filled Chicago’s Christ the Savior Church to celebrate the blessing of the temple’s recently completed interior iconography.
Priest John Baker celebrated a Molieben of Thanksgiving after the Divine Liturgy and led the procession around the Church as he blessed the entire temple.
“The iconography project began in August 2009 at the request of Archbishop Job, who insisted on engaging master iconographer, Father Theodore Jurewicz who, although contemplating retirement at the time, agreed to take on the project,” Father John explained. “Visiting Chicago two or three times a year, Father Theodore completed the iconography in July 2015. Parish faithful raised the funds to undertake the project thoughout the six years.”
Much preparation went into the project from the outset, including the removal of a large, built-in pipe organ—a part of the structure that dated back to its days as a non-Orthodox church—that was “rooted” in the basement. Father John and “a few brave parishioners” spent three days removing it.
A gallery of the blessing may be viewed here, while an audio recording of the services may be accessed here.
Harrisburg, PA: The Ressetars celebrate 50 years of ministry
On Sunday, July 5, 2015, the clergy and faithful of Christ the Saviour Church, Harrisburg, PA celebrated the 50th anniversary of Protopresbyter Daniel and Matushka Theodora Ressetar’s ministry to the community. Assigned to the parish—initially established as a mission community—on July 2, 1965, Father Daniel had celebrated the community’s first Divine Liturgy in a house chapel in Pleasant Hills, north of the Colonial Park Mall. To celebrate with Priest Stephen Vernak, Rector, and the faithful, the extended Ressetar family hosted a “Patriotic Picnic” during the fellowship hour.
“May God bless Father Dan and Matushka Theodora with peace, prosperity, and good health as they continue to serve our parish and the Church in their retirement,” said Father David.