March 23, 2025 | Trenton, New Jersey

On the evening of the Sunday of the Cross, clergy and faithful of the New Jersey Deanery gathered in prayer and fellowship for a Lenten Mission Service hosted by St. Vladimir Orthodox Church in Trenton, NJ, where Father Volodymyr Chaikivskyy serves as rector.

Ten clergy from across the deanery concelebrated Vespers, filling the church with the solemn beauty and spiritual intensity of the Lenten season. The service was attended by more than sixty faithful, united in devotion and encouragement at the midpoint of Great Lent.

Participating clergy included:

• V. Rev. Gary Joseph Breton, Dean, Annunciation Church, Brick, NJ

• V. Rev. Paul Shafran, St. Vladimir Church, Trenton, NJ

• V. Rev. Maryan Chaykivsky, St. John the Baptist Church, Passaic, NJ

• V. Rev. James Parsells and Archpriest Peter Kruashivili, SS. Peter and Paul Church, Manville, NJ

• V. Rev. Stephen Evanina, Holy Resurrection Church, Wayne, NJ

• Rev. Tristan Joseph Gall, St. Gregory Palamas Church, Glen Gardner, NJ

• Rev. Solomon Longo, SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Jersey City, NJ

• Rev. Bohdan Chaikivskyi, St. Athanasius Chapel, Bronxville, NY

• Rev. Volodymyr Chaikivskyi, St. Vladimir Church, Trenton, NJ

Following the service, Father Bohdan Chaikivskyi delivered the homily, offering an edifying reflection on the Cross as the sign of our salvation and the source of our strength. In the midst of the Lenten struggle, he reminded all present that Christ’s Cross stands as a gift of hope—pointing us toward Pascha and calling us to continue the journey with renewed faith and perseverance.

The evening concluded with a simple and joyful Lenten meal in the parish hall, where the faithful shared fellowship and conversation, nourished both physically and spiritually.

As we press on through the second half of Great Lent, may the Cross of Christ remain our comfort, our challenge, and our hope.