On October 19, our parish family celebrated a very joyful and grace-filled day. We had the great honor of welcoming His Grace Bishop Benedict, who presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, blessed our new iconostasis, and ordained Fr. Deacon Oleh Zatvarskyi to the priesthood. With this celebration, the St. Nicholas Eparchy was blessed with another devoted servant in God’s vineyard.
Concelebrants with the Bishop were:
Fr. Roman Bobesiuk — Administrator of St. Volodymyr Parish;
Fr. Oleh Kepeshchuk — Administrator of the Immaculate Conception Church in San Francisco;
Fr. Damian Higgins — Hegumen of the Transfiguration Monastery;
Protodeacon Marko Krutyak and Deacon Oleh Zatvarskyi, who was ordained to the priesthood that day.
In his homily, Bishop Benedict reflected on the Gospel words: “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them,” reminding everyone about the importance of love, respect, and serving others with a sincere heart.
At the end of the Liturgy, the Bishop thanked all the priests, deacons, and parishioners for their prayer, dedication, and hard work. He gave special thanks to Mr. Mykola Zeleniak and Mrs. Iryna Kulchytska, who took responsibility for the creation of the iconostasis. Through their efforts and the generosity of many parishioners, the new iconostasis has become not only a beautiful adornment of the church but also a spiritual bridge between the visible and invisible worlds.
After the Liturgy, the newly ordained priest, Fr. Oleh Zatvarskyi, gave his first priestly blessing to everyone present. The celebration continued with a joyful parish meal and warm fellowship.
📸 You can view more photos from this special event at the link below:
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