Sixteen faithful pledged members of Saint Olga of Alaska Mission Station joined Archpriest Terenti Wasielewski and chanter Brother David for a beautiful celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the new Diocesan Mission Station in Plattsburgh, New York, on Saturday morning, August 24. Some of the regular communicants were absent due to work commitments and illness, but the fledgling community welcomed a SUNY Plattsburgh student from Brooklyn as well as an inquirer from nearby Lewis, NY. George and Nathaniel Foutch did a great job as altar boys, under the guidance of Andrew Christy.

On August 4, Archbishop Michael presided at Divine Liturgy at Christ the Savior Church in Ballston Lake, NY. He was joined by other clergy: parish priest, Archpriest Matthew Markewich; attached clergy, Archpriest Igor Burdikoff, Priest Paul Fedoroff, Deacon Michael Burdikoff; the bishop's deacon, Deacon Stephan Karlgut; and parish founder and now visiting from St. James in Beaufort, SC, Deacon David Homyk.

His Eminence awarded Fr. Paul Fedoroff with the skufiya, with thanks for years of missionary service across the diocese; he also elevated Deacon Michael Burdikoff to the rank of Protodeacon. His Eminence also ordained parish altar server Joel Kurowski to the rank of Reader.

Following the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Michael presented a new curtain for the newly-built iconostasis as his gift and contribution to the parish's ongoing beautification. The parish presented a check to His Eminence to go towards the DDB Fund.

Following announcements, His Eminence joined the clergy and faithful of Christ the Savior for Coffee Hour.

On Sunday, August 25, our parish of St. John the Baptist in Alpha, NJ, was blessed with a visit from His Eminence Archbishop Michael. The day was marked by a beautiful Divine Liturgy and adorned with several significant milestones for our church community.  In addition, we had the opportunity to greet His Eminence for his upcoming birthday, and we presented him with a beautiful altar cloth and an icon of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow. It was a day filled with joy, reverence, and a deep sense of community. Below are some photos capturing the memorable moments of this blessed day.

By Archpriest Eric G. Tosi

The Diocese of New York and New Jersey held the third Annual Evangelism School from August 7 to August 9, 2024, at St. Gregory the Theologian Orthodox Church in Wappingers Falls, NY. This initiative is blessed by His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, fully funded by the Diocesan Council, and held in conjunction with the Diocesan Commission on Mission and Evangelism.

On August 9th, the North Country region of New York state suffered torrential rains, high winds and floods from Hurricane Debby. The Village of Norwood, NY, experienced mass flooding causing widespread damage to the homes, churches, businesses, and other buildings in the area.

St. Olympia Orthodox Church, located in the center of Norwood, was hit hard. The downstairs area received approximately 10” of contaminated water caused by sewer backup. In addition to Sunday school space, fellowship hall, kitchen, office space, bathroom facilities, plumbing and heating systems, and storage rooms, the lower level is home to the Norwood Food Pantry, which feeds those in need from the surrounding area. At present, this level is unusable. Please consider supporting our efforts through the GoFundMe Campaign. 

[Syracuse, NY] - On Saturday, July 27, Juliana Woodill presented an informative and enlightening Orthodox choir workshop at Saints Peter and Paul parish in Syracuse. Supported by the Diocesan Commission on Liturgical Music, the workshop included sessions on choir director skills and on vocal/choral techniques. Twenty-four attendees from the NY State Deanery and beyond listened, practiced, and received constructive feedback.