Father Vasil Dubee, parish rector of Saint Innocent of Alaska Mission Parish in Oneonta NY, reports:

“We have had some wonderful happenings at our Mission. We purchased 5.1 acres of land for the future site of our church and rectory in the town of Oneonta back in October. The land was purchased with a donation from the Lindsay and Olive B. O'Connor Foundation for $18,500! Just two weeks after the closing, I received a call from the realtor who handled the land sale to us and he said  the seller had 5.3 acres on the south border of the land and would like to offer it to us for purchase at the same price of $18,500. I told him I would love to, but most-likely cannot do it because I have no idea where the money would come from!”

“I let my parish council know about it, and one of our members works for the Lindsay and Olive B. O'Connor foundation. This Foundation exists to help out churches in the upper Catskill Mountains area, namely Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties. We celebrated a Moleben (service of thanksgiving) to the Theotokos “Kardiotissa” (a miraculous myrrh-streaming icon) in Taylor PA.”

“By the next parish meeting our parish treasurer, who works for the Foundation, had presented this to them … and they granted us an additional donation of $23,000 for the purchase of the second piece of land, making our total plot around 10.5 acres!”

“We closed on the property on 3 January 2017 at 1 p.m.”

“This is undoubtedly an incredible blessing from Almighty God and affirms His will to establish an Orthodox Church in Oneonta NY! Glory be to Him!”