IN THE NEWS: Vermont, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Texas
Springfield, VT: Holy Trinity Church celebrates 110th Anniversary
His Eminence, Archbishop Nikon joined Archpriest Peter Carmichael and the faithful of Holy Trinity Church, Springfield, VT for the celebration of the parish’s 110th Anniversary on Sunday, September 20, 2015.
Russian immigrants began settling in the Springfield area in the early 1890s. On October 5, 1905, Archpriest [now Saint] Alexander Hotovitsky celebrated the first Divine Liturgy. In 1909, the present church building was purchased and dedicated by His Grace, Bishop Alexander [Nemolovsky]. In 1915, the building adjacent to the church was purchased to house an Orthodox orphanage that had previously functioned in Brooklyn, NY. His Eminence, Archbishop Evdokim [Meshchersky] placed the orphanage and Holy Virgin Protection under the care of Mother Paulina. Before closing in the mid-1920s, the orphanage had served up to 100 children.
The parish experienced a spiritual and liturgical renewal in the 1970s and 1980s as several new families joined the group of very faithful parishioners who had kept the parish alive for decades. A new altar table and beautiful iconostasis were installed in the early 1980s. A social hall and kitchen were built in 1997, greatly enhancing the life of the community by providing much needed space for educational programs and social events.
Holy Trinity Church has become home to many summertime Vermont residents, given the parish’s close proximity to Okemo and Mt. Ascutney resorts. All services are in English, and the parish always welcomes visitors and seeks out those who desire to know more about Christ and the Orthodox Church.
Following the Anniversary Divine Liturgy, a banquet was held, during which Archbishop Nikon commended the faithful for their sustaining efforts and for opening the parish to all who are seeking the fullness of the Gospel.
View a video of the celebration
Windsor, ON: Centennial celebrated at St. John the Divine Church
The clergy and faithful of Saint John the Divine Church, Windsor, ON, Canada, celebrated their parish’s 100th Anniversary September 25-26, 2015.
His Eminence, Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa and Canada presided at the celebration of Great Vespers on Friday evening and the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning. Concelebrating were Priest Constantine Katsilas, Rector; Mitred Archpriest Anatoliy Melnyk of Montréal, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Canada, who attended with his Matushka Iryna; Deacon Nicolas P. Svetlovsky of Saint Seraphim Church, Rawdon, QC; and area clergy representing various jurisdictions.
Saint John the Divine parish is considered the “Mother Church” of Orthodox Christianity in the region. In the early 1900s, Windsor’s Orthodox Christians, who were without of church of their own, traveled to Detroit, MI for services. The sizable multi-ethnic colony, comprised of Russians, Bessarabians, Bukovinians, Ukrainians, Carpatho-Rusyns, Galicians, Serbians, Romanians, and Greeks, decided to formally organize their own parish in Windsor in 1914.
The parish’s first church building was completed in 1916, while a hall was erected in 1929. After a 1946 fire that destroyed the original church, the cornerstone for the present church was blessed in 1949. In time, the community saw the establishment of other parishes to serve the needs of specific ethnic groups. “Today, Saint John’s worships in English and reaches out to all,” said Father Constantine, who has served the parish since 2007.
A noteworthy personality in the parish’s history was the Archpriest Lukian Steciuk, who began his ministry in 1934 as a Reader and Deacon and, from 1944 until his repose in 1976, as Rector. After experiencing a period of decline due to demographic and related factors, the parish entered a period of revitalization in 2005 when a group of Father Lukian’s family members spearheaded the renovation of the church and hall in 2005. Since his appointment as Rector, Father Constantine has made dramatic progress in the parish’s renaissance.
Ambridge, PA: Peter Ilchuk ordained to diaconate
On Saturday, September 26, 2015, His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania ordained Reader Peter Ilchuk to the subdiaconate and diaconate during the the Divine Liturgy at Holy Ghost Church, Ambridge PA.
Concelebrating with Archbishop Melchisedek were Archpriest William Evansky, Holy Ghost Rector and Archdiocesan Chancellor; Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov, Director of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diaconal Vocations Program; and numerous visiting clergy and deacons.
A graduate of the OCA’s Diaconal Vocations Program, Deacon Peter was recently appointed Operations Manager of the All-American Council by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon. He formerly had served as aide to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman and His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah.
Deacon Peter currently resides in Sewickley PA, with his wife Danielle and their son Joshua.
Dallas, TX: “Save the Date” for annual youth and camp workers’ January conference
The Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry will host the annual Pan-Orthodox Youth and Camp Workers’ Conference in Dallas, TX January 21-23, 2016.
The conference theme will be “Feed My Sheep: Crisis, Trauma and Everyday Life,” according to Andrew Boyd, OCA Youth Director. Additional information will be posted as soon as it becomes available, and early registration is recommended.
In addition to the conference, which is open to all youth, camp and campus ministers, youth directors of jurisdictions belonging to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA will hold their committee consultation on January 20.