July 18, 2015
Methuen, MA: St. Xenia Parish honors Heavenly Patrons of Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery

With the arrival of the summer season, active parish life in Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg Church in Methuen, MA continues unabated. From Thursday the 9th through Saturday the 11th of July, the church successfully hosted its Summer School. As parish rector Archpriest Michael Crowley explained, the Summer School has become a yearly tradition; it is always held in the days preceding the feast of the Holy Supreme Leaders of the Apostles Peter & Paul. The children who were participating in the school’s work concluded their lessons with the singing of the All-Night Vigil on the eve of the feast on Saturday, July 11; the following morning, Sunday, July 12, they sang the Anaphora hymns at the Divine Liturgy.

The parish’s cemetery is named for Sts. Peter and Paul. Many years ago, before it closed in the 1970s, the cemetery belonged to the parish of St. John the Baptist in Lawrence, MA. "In the mid-1990s, members of our parish were able to obtain a cemetery in Methuen proper," explains Fr. Michael. "And in 1995, we built a parish church in honor of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg. Over the last few years, the road in the cemetery was paved and the property landscaped. Every year, on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, we hold a procession to the cemetery after Liturgy and serve a thanksgiving moleben for the opportunity to serve and pray in such a wonderful parish."

This year, Fr. Michael led the Divine Liturgy, co-served by parish Deacon Alexander Doohovskoy. Praying at the service were parishioners and visiting guests; upon its completion, the sisterhood organized a bountiful festal luncheon for all.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese