Parish Life in 2018

October 13-14, 2018 – Patronal Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God

On Saturday, October 13, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion flew in to head our Parish celebration. This year our patronal Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God fell on Sunday, which added to the solemnity of the holiday. Vladyka was co-served by our parish priest Gregory Naumenko, our protodeacon Andrei Strapko, hegumen Theophylact, who arrived from Holy Trinity Monastery, priest John Boddeker of our neighboring parish in Buffalo, along with his two brother deacons, Andrew and George Hammond. Protodeacon Nikifor Franklin, now a member of the clergy of the Church of St. John of Kronstadt in Utica, returned with his family to join us in our celebration.

On the day of the holiday itself, during the reading of hours, our reader Stefan Stoyanov was elevated to the rank of subdeacon and Daniel Watkins was tonsured to the rank of reader for Sts. Theodore parish in Buffalo. During the small entrance, Fr. Andrew Hammond was awarded the double orarion.

Throughout the services, our choir sang with inspiration and solemnity. The trios were beautifully sung by Elizabeth Prokopienko, Alexandra…