June 29, 2009
Bishop George visits Sts. Theodore Church on their feast day of the Translation of the Relics of St. Theodore Stratelates

Bishop George made an archpastoral visit June 20-21 to Sts. Theodore Church in Williamsville (Buffalo), NY. Though it was his first visit here since his consecration last December, Vladyka George has been a spiritual father of this parish for many years, coming out from Jordanville to serve when the parish would find itself without a permanent priest. So everyone was overjoyed to receive him now as a hierarch. The parish also has developed close ties with the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, so it was an additional blessing to greet Vladyka upon his election to abbot of that monastery.

On Sunday morning, the children of the parish greeted Vladyka with flowers and strew his path with petals. The Lord blesses the parish with more children every year. Reader Peter Semanchuk welcomed His Grace with bread and salt. During the Sixth Hour, the parish was blessed to witness the tonsure of their own George Hammond to the rank of reader. Reader George has been accepted to Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville in the fall.

Archpriest Theodore Jurewicz from Holy Nativity Church in Erie, PA concelebrated, and Deacon Nicholas Olhovsky kindly came out from Jordanville to serve. Vladyka’s driver, Zacchaeus Johnson, served as subdeacon and ably oversaw the parish’s altar servers.

The choir sang prayerfully under their faithful and diligent director, Justin Kawa. Everyone in the parish worked hard to clean the temple, tend to the landscaping, and prepare the meals for Vladyka’s visit. It was truly a glorious and joyful weekend that will ever live in the memory of everyone at Sts. Theodore Church.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese