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September 8, 2011
Wayne, WV: Bishop George celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Christ the Savior Church and welcomed the new parish rector

On Sunday, September 4, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop George of Mayfield celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Christ the Savior Church in Wayne, WV. His Grace visited the parish due to the recent parish feast day, celebrated on August 29, the feast of the Translation from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image of Christ Not-Made-by-Hands and the assignment of Priest Jonah Campbell as the new rector of the parish. (On September 1, 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion released Fr. Jonah from his obligations as a cleric at St. George’s Church in Howell, NJ, and appointed him rector of Christ the Savior Church.)

His Grace was co-served by Abbot Seraphim (Voepel; deputy abbot of Holy Cross Monastery), Fr. Jonah, and Deacon Jeremiah Davis (monastery cleric).

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Bishop George greeted the parishioners and officially introduced Fr. Jonah as the new rector of the parish. His Grace encouraged the faithful to support their new rector and follow his guidance and direction. As the parish begins a new chapter, Vladyka said that he is confident in Fr. Jonah’s ability to lead the flock entrusted to him by Christ.

In return, Fr. Jonah expressed his sincere gratitude to Bishop George, Fr. Seraphim, and all the brotherhood of Holy Cross Monastery for their historical support and spiritual love for the parish. He assured His Grace that the parishioners will always pray for their beloved monastery, that God might reward their monastic labors with heavenly crowns. Fr. Jonah went on to address the faithful and outlined his vision for the future of the parish, including many improvement projects and events. The newly assigned rector stressed the importance of never losing sight of the fact that the parish exists to assist the parishioners in saving their souls ‒ "The Church is a spiritual hospital for all those suffering from passions and temptations. If we wish to see this parish thrive, then spiritual life and love for one another must come first. If we will live in such a way, we can be confident that God will bless us."

During the festive luncheon, which was held in the parish hall, many warm words of gratitude were expressed to former rector Archpriest John Moses, who, at great personal sacrifice, tended to the needs of the parish for several years while a permanent priest was not available.

Fr. Jonah, who along with his family will move into their new home in Wayne later this month, is no stranger to the parish of Christ the Savior. In 2001, he attended services at Holy Cross Monastery, where the future parishioners of Christ the Savior were beginning their journey. He participated in discussions about building a new church, and was present at the first Liturgy in 2002. His son, Alexei, was the first child to be baptized in the newly built church. Several parishioners noted that Fr. Jonah has been a part of the parish since the beginning, and that "this is a homecoming for him."

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