His Eminence Archbishop Peter made an official visit to Ukraine October 16-29, 2016.

4th ANNUAL ANN ARBOR RUSSIAN FESTIVAL

Sept 17th & Sept 18th

Russian Festival

St. George Russian Orthodox Church

Saturday, September 10th, 2016

10am and 8pm.

Jan 15, 1976 - June 27, 2016

MAY 25- JUNE 10

April 15- 17, 2016

With the blessing of His Grace, Metropolitan Hilaron, the Kursk-Root Wonder-working icon of the Mother of God of the Sign (Znamenie) will be visiting the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America.

Ann Arbor, MI – On February 27 & February 28, 2016 His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, led the Divine Services at St. Vladimir Church here.

From October 14-17, 2015 the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America held its triennial Diocesan Assembly.

Monday February 15th on the feast of the Meeting of Our Lord following the Divine Liturgy, a winner was selected for the raffle benefitting the building fund of the School and Diocesan Center.

The Youth Committee of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America recently held its annual St. Herman Youth conference near Dallas, Texas in cooperation with the local St. Nicholas parish. Begun with the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Peter, this annual event fosters friendships among Orthodox youth and provides them much-needed spiritual nourishment.

Over 150 people took time off on a weekday to celebrate the paternal feast and the formal opening to the community of the beautiful new St. Basil the Great Russian Orthodox Church in St. Louis on January 14th.

His Grace Bishop Peter along with eighteen priests, two deacons, thee sub-deacons and several altar boys served at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy which was followed festal banquet that followed at the Lodge of Des Peres, which is located a short distance from the Church.

The weather was ideal for the festivities and contributed to the joyful mood that was so evident among every one present. Priests and clergy traveled from as far away as Connecticut, New York State, Michigan and West Virginia to participate in the festive occasion.

As a memento of their service to the parish, Bishop Peter presented Gramotas to long time Parish Council President Michael Orlando, Building Committee members Andrew Johnstone, Aaron Campbell, and Carol Surgant and to Malcolm Royse, who worked diligently to construct the new iconostas.

Almost every one in attendance commented on the traditional beauty of the new church both on the exterior and on the interior.

On December 19/January 1 & December 20/January 2 the inaugural patronal feast of the Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America was held at the Diocesan Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God in Des Plaines, IL.

The Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America is committed to making high quality Orthodox theological education as accessible to as many interested students as possible. Based on this commitment we have made it possible for students to study either full time or part time in our seminary, have instituted summer courses, and accept applicants in both the fall and spring semesters.

The date of the Diocesan Council Meeting for January 2016 has been changed from January 15 to January 22. Those with issues that they wish to bring to the Diocesan Council's attention are asked to contact Priest Gregory Joyce, Secretary of the Diocesan Council at dcma.rocor@gmail.com.

http://www.orthodoxmusicsymposium.org/

On December 5-6th, 2015, at the invitation of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, Bishop Peter led the divine services at St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ for the cathedral’s patronal feast day.

The annual Pan-Orthodox Thanksgiving Day Divine Liturgy for faithful throughout the Chicago region was celebrated at the Holy Virgin Protection Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 25, 2015.

With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America and President of the Diocesan Pastoral School, the Pastoral School will henceforth be named in honor of St. John of Kronstadt.

For the first time, Holy Trinity Seminary is participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar you give to Holy Trinity Seminary starting today through December 1 will be doubled! All donations will be matched up to $50,000.

Clink on the link below to see the Donation page and watch the video and share with your friends.

 http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/u=1ec9556773dd39446c69ff62f&id=bafb0d8a8f&e=635e3d5f07

Office of the Chancery

Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, ROCOR

Statement on Recent Terrorist Acts

7/20 November, 2015

Venerable Lazarus of Mt. Galesion

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7)

In recent weeks there have been a spate of terrorist acts throughout the world: in the Sinai, in Beirut, in Paris, and elsewhere. Such barbarity causes us to pause, to think, and to assess the state of the world in which we live. Such a reaction is natural, and such reflection can be spiritually helpful.

Before we consider ourselves, however, we must first state unequivocally that it is the duty of a Christian to pray for those who have died – especially those who have died in such tragic consequences.

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

Bishop Peter blesses the following text to be used by the faithful of the diocese in their private prayers:

Give rest O Lord to the souls of the victims of terrorism, grant comfort to the grieving families, touch the hearts of the evildoers and turn them to good. Lord have mercy.

War is a condition of the fallen state of mankind. In such circumstances the Church may have no choice but to support the lesser of two evils in order to protect the innocent. Terrorists call their murderous acts war – but it is nothing of the sort. Their evil actions do nothing but destabilize society and make it that much more difficult for the faithful to work out their salvation.

All this being said, let us not seek personal revenge. Rather, let us pray for our civil authorities and put our trust in the Lord. If revenge is necessary, the Lord will take care for that:

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

Let us turn to God, strive to trust God more, strive to love God more, and to place our lives into His hands. The Lord cares for our salvation even more than we do and loves us more than we love ourselves, and He gives us what is best to lead us to salvation. In times of crisis as in times in peace let us hope in the Lord. If we do so we will never be disappointed, but will always live in peace, even amongst brutality such as we have recently seen throughout the world. We call upon our flock to provide an example of a Christian life as taught to us by our Lord.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

This year, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, Fund for Assistance to the Russian Church Outside of Russia is participating in #GivingTuesday, for the second year in a row.

Giving Tuesday follows after Black Friday and Cyber Monday and promotes a day of giving. ​ ​

#GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

Last year, more than 27,000 organizations in 68 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. Since its founding in 2012, #GivingTuesday has inspired giving around the world, resulting in greater donations, volunteer hours, and activities that bring about real change in communities.

We invite you to join the movement and to help get out and give this December 1. ​​For us, last year, thanks to generous donations from our donors Fund for Assistance to the ROCOR was able to raise over $20,000 on Giving Tuesday​ with our matching appeal.

We hope with your support we can make Giving Tuesday a day when we give back to the Church who already gives so much to us. Let's make Giving Tuesday, 2015 another success!

We need your support to spread the word about #GivingTuesday to talk about our nonprofit.

This is how you can help:

1. Take an "UNselfie", which is essentially a photo of you holding a sign explaining how or why you are "giving" this year.

2. If you use social media, please post your photo with hashtags #UNselfie, #GivingTuesday, #Fund4Assistance and tag us @Fund4Assistance.

3. Upload to your Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook and share with friends!

​For your convenience we are attaching a save the date picture, an #UNselfie example, and an #UNselfie page where you can write about your own support for #GivingTuesday to share on social media.

Thank you for your support in advance!

Every action helps and we are most grateful.

A concert sponsored by St. George parish in Cincinnati raised more than $5,000 to support three local families whose children are being treated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Bishop Peter Visits St. George Parish on its 27th Anniversary

On Saturday evening November 7 and Sunday morning November 8 His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland visited his St. Vladimir parish in Ann Arbor, MI.

On Saturday, November 7, 2015 His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, visited the St. Seraphim Mission in Lansing, MI.

The Mission has been working tirelessly for several years to remodel the building they purchased and this work is coming to fruition: much of the work is done, but much remains. Bishop Peter was able to lead the Divine Liturgy in the almost completed church and also inspect the fully completed work, as well as discuss with the parishioners the work yet to be done. This was the first hierarchal Divine Liturgy in this building and it was a true triumph for this small but growing community. Clergymen that served with His Grace at the Divine Liturgy were Archpriest Paul Waters, Archpriest Gregory Joyce (Dean of Michigan Parishes), Archpriest Victor Trotsky, and Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov.

A Participant

Grand Prize :

Land arrangement for two persons

for the Holy Land Pilgrimage with Bishop Peter for May 24-June 10 2016. 

Drawing Feb 15, 2016.

Raffle tickets $50.

Archpriest Sergei Garklavs, Dean Emeritus of Holy Trinity Cathedral, fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly on Monday, October 19, 2015.

With the blessing of Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, the Diocesan Council will tentatively meet on the dates listed below. If these dates need to be amended, an announcement will be made on the diocesan web site. Those with issues that they wish to bring to the Diocesan Council's attention are asked to contact Priest Gregory Joyce, Secretary of the Diocesan Council at dcma.rocor@gmail.com.

January 15, 2016

May 12, 2016

July 14, 2016

November 17, 2016

January 12, 2017

May 18, 2017

July 13, 2017

November 16, 2017

January 11, 2018

May 10, 2018

July 12, 2018

November 8, 2018

On the weekend of October 17-18, 2015, the Divine services at the cathedral were officiated by His Grace, Bishop Mstislav of Tikhvin and the cathedral clergy, Rev. Valery Vovkovski, Rev. Leontiy Naidzions, Deacon Nicholas Lochmatow, as well as  clergy from St. George Cathedral (OCA) Deacon Alexander Koranda.

October 1/14 annually marks the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God and the patronal feast of the Diocesan Cathedral of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America. On this day the diocesan clerical brotherhood, in addition to a multitude of laity, gathered in preparation for the triennial Diocesan Assembly which is slated to be held in Des Plaines, IL October 15-17, 2015. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Metropolitan Phillip of Poltava and Mirgorod. The honored guest was joined at the Holy Altar by His Eminence Archbishop Alypy and His Grace Bishop Peter, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America. In addition to the hierarchs were a host of priests and deacons - both clerics of the diocese and guests. Following the Divine Liturgy at which more than 200 of the faithful partook of the Holy Gifts, the indispensable moleben and procession were held. Following the moleben several of the faithful of the cathedral parish were honored with thanksgiving gramotas, while Archpriest Martin Swanson was awarded a synodal gramota for his tireless work as the founder and first Dean of the Pastoral School of Chicago & Mid-America. Hundreds then gathered in the cathedral hall to mark this second Pascha in the life of the cathedral with a festive meal. Later that evening delegates were assembled and the Diocesan Assembly began in earnest, with the hope of the Lord's guidance in the work to be accomplished for the good of the diocese and to the glory of God. A Participant

With the blessing of Bishop Peter, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, the St. Vladimir parish in Ann Arbor, MI will host a marriage retreat October 24-25, 2015.

More information and registration can be found at this link:

http://goo.gl/forms/x8hQ88NoG1

All are welcome!

With the blessing of Bishop Peter of Cleveland, President of the Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America (PSDCMA), three faculty of PSDCMA participated in the Symposium: “Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow (1865-1925) – His Life and Times” at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY October 9-10, 2015.

Metropolitan Jonah, Instructor in Dogmatic Theology at PSDCMA, presented a paper entitled “The Legacy of St. Tikhon as Missionary in America”.

Archpriest Gregory Joyce, Dean of PSDCMA and Instructor in Pastoral Theology, presented a paper entitled “The Contemporary Veneration of Hieromartyr Tikhon (Belavin) in Russia and Abroad”.

Deacon Andrei Psarev, Instructor in Byzantine History and History and Principles of the Orthodox Church at PSDCMA, presented a paper entitled "They Have Neither Laymen Nor Money": Overview of the Correspondence Between Archbishop Tikhon (Bellavin) and Archpriest Evgenii Smirnov, 1907-1911.

All papers were well received by those gathered to participate in the symposium.

As Fr. Gregory noted: “We are thankful to have the opportunity to participate in this symposium and we look forward to, and actively seek opportunities for future cooperation with Holy Trinity Seminary and other higher education theological institutions for the benefit of both our students and faculty”.

A Participant

For more info on the symposium:

http://hts.edu/news_150512_1.html

Statement from the Diocesan Chancery of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America

September 25/October 8, 2015

Venerable Sergius of Radonezh

On October 7, 2015 His Eminence Archbishop Alypy experienced a sudden bout of low blood pressure. His Eminence was transported to the hospital and after an examination it was determined that he was suffering from a pulmonary embolism. His Eminence is responding well to the prescribed medication and although his condition is serious, it is not life threatening. Nonetheless, we ask the prayers of the faithful for Archbishop Alypy during his convalescence. Updates will be provided if and when warranted. It is our hope and expectation that Vladyka will recover from this episode and be able to return to his activities in the near future.

2015 DCMA ST. HERMAN CONFERENCE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 - FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 

DALLAS, TEXAS

Hosted by St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

registration form:

http://goo.gl/forms/Rj6H3858AJ

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Peter, a memorial to Orthodox Soldiers was dedicated at St. Vladimir Church, Ann Arbor, MI.

On Sunday, September 13, 2015, His Grace Bishop Peter visited the St. Innocent of Moscow Parish in Carol Stream, IL.

Upon his arrival, Bishop Peter was greeted with the traditional bread and salt. 

His Grace was co-served by the Parish Rector,  Rev. Tarasiy Maximtsev, along with  Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov (cleric of Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral )  and Deacon Dimitri Kulp (cleric of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church in Blue River, WI). The prayers of the faithful were accompanied by the spiritual and melodic singing of the choir, directed by Sergei Furmanov.

Bishop Peter joined the parishioners in a delightful brunch located in the recently refurbished kitchen/dinette area.

Saints Peter and Fevronia Orthodox Church, in the Kansas City area, celebrate their Feast day. Divine services were led by Rev. Zachary Rose. (September 13, 2015)

Take up your Cross and follow Me!

Reflections on the 2015 DCMA Walking Pilgrimage

The 10th Annual Russian Festival will be held in Goshen, IN on September 12, 2015 between 10am and 5 pm at the Holy Virgin Protection Church.

3rd Annual Ann Arbor Russian Festival will be taking place on September 19th and September 20th, 2015 at St. Vladimir Orthodox Church in Dexter, Michigan.

St. George Russian Orthodox Church presents Russian Fest 2015 on Saturday, September 19th, between 11am and 7pm.

The celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the founding of Saint Sergius and Herman of Valaam Orthodox Church in Atlantic Mine, Michigan is to take place on September 23th and 24th, 2015.

The great feast of the Dormition is always one of joy for the faithful, and in the Michigan Deanery this is even more so the case since this feast is an annual occasion of a hierarchal visit to the Dormition Cathedral in Ferndale, Michigan. This year His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, lead the faithful in prayer on the second Pascha of their parish – their patronal feast day.

At the festal Vigil held on the eve of the feast His Grace was joined by Archpriest Andrei Alexiev (St. Stephan Decani Serbian Church), Archpriest Victory Trotskyy (Rector of Dormition Cathedral), Archpriest Gregory Joyce (Rector of St. Vladimir Church and Dean of Michigan Parishes of ROCOR), and Deacon Ioann Feloniuk (Cleric of Dormition Cathedral) as well as a multitude of Subdeacons and Readers from throughout the Deanery. Following the Vigil, at which many of the faithful confessed their sins in preparation to partake of the Holy Mysteries on the feast, the cathedral's sisterhood provided a light lenten meal for the clergy and those in attendance.

On the feast itself His Grace was joined by Archpriest Roman Star (Rector of St. Innocent Church), Archpriest Victory Trotskyy, Archpriest Gregory Joyce, and Deacon Ioann Feloniuk as well as a multitude of Subdeacons and Readers from throughout the Deanery. Following the Divine Liturgy at which many partook of Holy Communion, the requisite procession was held and the cathedral sisterhood again nourished those in attendance with a lenten meal. Many of the faithful lingered at the meal well into the afternoon, reminiscing about this and past patronal feast days at the cathedral. After the prayer following the meal His Grace Bishop Peter departed Detroit for the see of the Diocese.

A Participant

The Wonderworking Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon visited the diocesan center at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Des Plaines, IL on August 22-23. 2015. His Grace, Bishop Peter, along with clerics from around the diocese, greeted the Holy Icon and served laudation ,All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy. Many gathered to venerate the Holy Icon and were anointed with its streaming myrrh.

From the website http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org/icons.html :

"Since June of 2008, She has been to over 1000 churches in North America of all (canonical) jurisdictions, and has been venerated by an estimated one million people throughout the United States and canada. In many cities, the holy Icon is taken from one parish to another, being venerated by all the Orthodox clergy, and helping to establish and heal relationships amongst the Orthodox faithful, and also strengthening and fostering ties between the sister parishes. Requests have now been made for the Wonderworking Icon to be brought to Russia, the Ukraine, Greece, Cyprus, South America, Europe, the Holy Land, Romania, Mount Athos, and Serbia. When the Holy Icon was taken to the Republic of Georgia in 2014 at the request of the Catholicos-Patriarch ILIA II of Georgia, over a million faithful came to venerate the "Panagia of Hawaii." A number of miracles, including the healing of cancer, were reported to the Georgian Patriarchate."

A visit from the diocesan bishop is always a cause for celebration and gratitude, especially in a small, rural parish. On August 3/16, the 11th Sunday after Pentecost and the feast of St. Anthony the Roman, Bishop Peter came to the St. Herman parish outside the village of Lake Odessa, MI to perform the ordination of reader Elias Reeves.

The bishop was met at 10 a.m. by a group of parishioners, family members, and friends. Following his vesting and the ordination of reader Elias to the subdeaconate, the Liturgy was celebrated according to the hierarchical order

. After the consecration of the Gifts, Vladika Peter performed the ordination to the deaconate. A festive lenten meal was served to guests by the parish sisterhood in the parish trapeza afterwards.

The newly-ordained Fr. Elias joined the Church as an adult. He is a son of the St. Herman parish and will be attached there. He and his wife Rachel have two children, Madeline and Milo, and are expecting a third. We ask your prayers for their family and his diaconal ministry.

St. Sava Academy Leaders Meet With His Grace Bishop Peter

Senior representatives of Saint Sava Academy, Principal Marko Bojovic and Board President Nenad Djordjevic, met today with His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

During the meeting, the Academy representatives informed Bishop Peter of plans for the upcoming school year, curriculum enhancements, and enrollment trends, particularly noting the increase in students in the Academy's Russian-language program as part of the overall growth in the student body.

Bojovic and Djordjevic also expressed the Academy's deep gratitude for Bishop Peter's strong support of the Academy's mission and Orthodox education, and presented Vladika with a commemorative certificate of appreciation.

Established in 2001, Saint Sava Academy is an accredited PreK-8 elementary school at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, offering dual-language education in either Serbian or Russian language tracks, in an Orthodox Christian environment.

In conjunction with the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops meeting that will take place this year in Chicago, a dialogue with the youth (high school and college age young people) will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 6PM at the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral on Redwood Drive.

The Youth & Young Adult Gathering will begin with a Vespers service at 6PM and will be followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the Bishops' Assembly who will speak and answer questions.

After the panel discussion, participants are invited to a meal and fellowship in the Main Hall hosted by the Cathedral community. “We are honored to host the Bishops in our community, and look forward to this panel discussion and conversation between our hierarchs and youth. This is an important dialogue especially since the panel of Bishops will be answering questions that our youth will pose, avoiding a frequent trap of answering questions that nobody is actually asking, and so I look forward to a large turnout of Orthodox youth and young adults," said V. Reverend Fr. Darko Spasojevic, Cathedral Dean at Holy Resurrection.

All Orthodox parish and diocesan youth organizations, schools, college ministries, and interested individuals in the area are invited and encouraged to attend.

In order to ensure there are enough food and refreshments for everyone, clergy and/or organization leaders are asked to RSVP by email to contact@serbiancathedral.org with an approximate head count by September 7th, 2015.

24th Annual Russian Orthodox Church Musicians' Conference

St Andrew's Russian Orthodox Church

St Petersburg, Florida

October 7 - 11, 2015

On August 9th, 2015, 10th Sunday after Pentecost, St. Panteleimon Day, His Grace Peter Bishop of Cleveland, Administrator of Chicago and Mid-America Diocese, lead the Parish Feast in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Saturday Vigil was served by His Grace with attending clergy - Archimandrite John (Magramm, Holy Resurrection Skete, Fridley, MN), priest Mircea Vasiu (St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, St. Paul, MN), priest Antony Alekseyenko (Parish Rector) and Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov (Holy Virgin Cathedral, Des Plaines, IL). Parish Protodeacon Vasili Gilliland joined in prayer. Vigil was well attended and Sisterhood prepared a small tea after the service.

Sunday Festivities started with the Lesser Blessing of Water served by priest Joseph Towne. Bishop Peter was greeted by young parishioners with bread and salt as well as flowers. Before the 6th Hour Igor Kulkov was tonsured as reader. His Grace served Liturgy with Archimandrite John (Magramm, Holy Resurrection Skete, Fridley, MN), priest Antony Alekseyenko (Parish Rector), priest Joseph Towne, Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov (Holy Virgin Cathedral, Des Plaines, IL) and Protodeacon Vasili Gilliland. After the Gospel, Bishop Peter addressed the parishioners with a sermon - in Russian, on the Sunday Gospel, and in English about the martyrdom of St. Panteleimon. The prayer for peace in Ukraine was read. This was the first time parishioners partook the Communion from two Holy Chalices.

Supplication Service with Cross Procession around the church ended with the prayer to St. Panteleimon and Magnification.

After singing many years to the parish, Fr. Antony greeted His Grace in the parish and thanked him for his visit and prayers. Many people came to venerate Saint Panteleimon icon with relics.

Trapeza in the church basement was filled with people to capacity. Bishop Peter shared the story of his trip to 25th Anniversary of the Glorification of St. John in Russia this June. Parishioners had an opportunity to ask questions

. Fr. Antony thanked everyone who helped organize the Feast, and congratulated Reader Igor with his tonsure, and asked His Grace for his prayers.

Fr. Antony also invited everyone to celebrate together next year the 60th Anniversary of Minneapolis Parish and 1000th Anniversary of Russian Presence on the Holy Mount Athos (St. Panteleimon Monastery).

On Sunday, August 9th, 2015, the feast of the Greatmartyr and Healer Panteleimon, the church of Sts. Sergius & Herman of Valaam in Houghton had the joyful opportunity to give thanks to God. The mortgage was paid off and the property can now be handed over into the trustful hands of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America. The dean of Michigan, Fr. Gregory Joyce lead the Thanksgiving Moleben after the Divine Liturgy. After the services the mortgage paper was burned by the starosta, Lynn Gierke, and the parish rector, Hieromonk Alexander, with the help of others present and the careful supervision of the dean.

This is a big step in the life of the church and gives us now also the opportunity to re-invite everyone to join us for the Great Consecration of our temple on September 23/24. Please visit http://ss-sergius-herman-valaam.org/greatconsecration.html to register.

1000th Anniversary of St. Vladimir Around the Diocese

1000th Anniversary of St. Vladimir in Ann Arbor, MI

The millennial celebration of the repose of the Holy Great Prince Vladimir was celebrated in the parish named after this great favorite of God on July 27 & 28 in Ann Arbor, MI. With the blessing of Bishop Peter, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah led the Divine Services for this significant celebration in the life of the parish family.

His Eminence arrived at the parish church to the peal of the traditional trezvon on the eve of the feast. The litya for the Vigil was served as a procession around the temple, with all of the faithful participating. The choir of the parish sang magnificently under the direction of Dr. Roman Vershynin. Following the evening service at which many of the parishioners and guests confessed their sins in preparation for Divine Liturgy the next day, a reception in honor of Metropolitan Jonah was held at the home of the parish's Assistant Starosta, Konstantin Poplavsky.

The day of the feast dawned with beautiful sunshine and blue skies. His Eminence was again met by the peal of the trezvon as he arrived at the parish church. Several of the parish young people greeted him in English, Spanish, and Russian. The parish's Starosta, Nathaniel Longan, then welcomed His Eminence officially to the St. Vladimir parish and thanked him for his graciousness in agreeing to lead the community in prayer on this jubilee day. Many of the faithful partook of Holy Communion from two chalices at the Liturgy. The parish choir again sang beautifully under the direction of Dr. Vershynin. Following His Eminence's hierarchal address to the faithful at which he called them to emulate the Holy Great Prince in his Christian life, the requisite procession was held using the holy water that had been blessed before the morning's Divine Liturgy in addition to blessing the faithful with the Holy Cross and the icon of St. Vladimir. The bells rang in a triumphant greeting to all within earshot – today is the Second Pascha of this community! Come and join us! And in fact, many did. Visitors from throughout the Michigan Deanery joined their brothers and sisters in Ann Arbor for the feast, and the parish's St. Xenia Sisterhood did not disappoint with a bountiful and delicious lunch served under a huge big-top tent on the parish's festival grounds.

In addition to His Eminence the following clergymen participated in the patronal feast day Divine Services and the parish is greatly indebted to them all for joining us in prayer on this great day:

Archpriest Roman Star, St. Innocent Church, Redford, MI

Archpriest Andrei Alexiev, St. Stefan Decani Church, Warren, MI

Archpriest Gregory Joyce, Rector

Archpriest Victor Trotskyy, Dormition Cathedral, Ferndale, MI

Priest Joshua Frigerio, Holy Ascension Church, Albion, MI

Hieromonk Alexander, Sts. Sergius & Herman Church, Houghton, MI

Priest Joseph Towne, Sts. Sergius & Herman Church, Houghton, MI

Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov, Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral, Des Plaines, IL

Deacon Ioann Feloniuk, Dormition Cathedral, Ferndale, MI

Deacon Nicholas Olsen, Parish Cleric

Shortly after the end of the festivities the excavating contractor that the parish has chosen to begin phase one of its building project began to stage equipment on the property to begin the work. God-willing next year's celebration in Ann Arbor, the parish's 35 anniversary, will see phase one complete and phase two well underway!

1000th Anniversary of St. Vladimir in Houston TX

Bishop Peter, Administrator of the Chicago and Midwest Diocese, presided over the Divine Services in Houston, TX.

In addition to His Grace the following clergymen participated in the patronal feast day Divine Services:

Igumen Gregory Zaiens

Archpriest John Whiteford, St. Jonah of Manchuria, Houston, TX

Priest Lubomir Kupec, Rector

Priest Anthony Baba, Antiochian Church

Priest Seraphim Holland, St. Nicholas Church, McKinney, TX

Priest Matthew Floyd, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Claremore, OK

Deacon Nicholas Park, St. Nicholas Church, McKinney, TX

Deacon David Companik, St. Jonah of Manchuria, Houston, TX

Deacon Vladimir Trussin

Beningnio Padro

1000th Anniversary of St. Vladimir in ORPR Camp - Lost Lake, Rock City, IL

Divine Services at Lost Lake "Vladimirovo" were attended by over 70 of the camp scouts and led by:

Archpriest John Sykaluk, Rector

Archpriest Martin Swanson, St. Basil the Great Church, Saint Louis, MO

Archpriest Vasily Kuzmic, Holy Trinity Church, Milwaukee, WI

Priest Sergii Alkseev

Priest Antony Alekseyenko, St. Panteleimon Church, Minneapolis, MN

Hieromonk Timothy Tadros, St. George Church, Michigan City, IN

Deacon Nikolai Lochmatow

Deacon Dimitri Kulp

Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America: Applications, Scholarships, Loan Program The Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America is now accepting applications for the coming fall semester. In addition, scholarship applications are also being accepted for two separate scholarship tracks: Need Based Scholarships and Academic Scholarships. The Pastoral School would like to thank the Fund for Assistance of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia for supporting our scholarship program. We are pleased to announce that His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, has joined the faculty and will be teaching Dogmatic Theology this year in the Pastoral School. This year the Pastoral School is pleased to offer a Catechist Training Program – the first of its kind available in English in the Russian Orthodox Church. This program was created in response to the call by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church which met in Moscow in February 2013. At this council the bishops called for the training of catechists and the educational institutions to be created to carry out this training. The Orthodox Studies major in the Pastoral School offers a one-year catechist training program. Those who successfully complete the one-year program are eligible to participate in a second year advanced catechist training program. Catechists will be certified to prepare catechumens and sponsors for baptism, as well those seeking to be wed in the Church. The second year of the program examines these and broader Orthodox Theological issues in greater depth, and prepares the catechist to be an even greater aid to the parish Rector in his work with the flock. This year the Pastoral School is also pleased to offer a loan program to its students to assist them in completing their studies in as timely a manner as possible. It is hoped that this program will make financial issues less of a hindrance to Pastoral School students in their studies preparing them to serve the Holy Church. More information can be found on the Pastoral School web site: http://orthodoxtheologicalschool.org/ PLEASE NOTE! There are deadlines associated with applications for admission and scholarships. Deadline for admission is September 1. Deadline for scholarships is August 15.

Orthodox music conference concludes with record attendance and celebratory concert Musicians, scholars, singers, and composers from all over the world gather to learn about Orthodox Christian music in 6th annual conference. One of the people attending was Kurt Sander, composer, choir director and a representative of the Chicago and Mid-America Diocese.  

The 55th season of the diocesan summer camp, ORPR, began on Saturday, July 4th, 2015. Participants include over 75 youngsters as well as volunteers and instructors from within the diocese, beyond its borders and as far away as Belarus and Russia.  Seeking God's blessing for a spiritually beneficial and safe camp session, His Grace Bishop Peter presided over the opening ceremonies, which began with a moleben served by the camp Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Tarasiy Maximtsev. The campers then marched to the peninsula on the lake for the ceremonial reading of the opening orders of camp. This year's camp is named in honor of St. Vladimir, marking the 1000th anniversary of his repose. Bishop Peter elevated Alena Ignatiev to the highest rank within the camp hierarchy, Senior Instructor.   The campers spent the rest of the day meeting their cabin members and being introduced to time-honored camp traditions, such as marching and how to stand at attention and form ranks. A choir of campers sung the evening service under the guidance of camp choir director, Fr. Deacon Dimitri Kulp. After dinner, the campers joined in songs and skits around the campfire. The evening concluded with fireworks over the lake, in honor of Independence Day.   Campers sang the liturgy on Sunday morning, served by Archpriest John Sykaluk, rector of the St. Vladimir parish located at ORPR and priest Daniel Marshall, rector of St. George parish in Cincinnati, Ohio. Two seminarians from Seretensky Monastery Theological Seminary participated in the services. Evgeniy Kolodnyy, read the epistle and Arseniy Pisarev rang the church bells. These seminarians will spend two weeks at ORPR helping camp clergy with the teaching of Orthodoxy and the Law of God to the campers.   Later on Sunday, campers hiked 4 miles through the corn and soybean fields near camp, returning for an evening snack before turning in.   Monday morning campers returned to Church for the annual blessing of camp. Carrying the Cross, banners and icons while singing, "O Lord, save Thy people..." all the cabins and camp buildings were blessed with holy water. The Lord Himself added to the blessing, by sending a rain storm.  ORPR camp is located in a rural section of northern Illinois and provides Orthodox youth with a month of instruction in the Orthodox religion, Russian history and culture, and scouting skills.  The summer session runs the entire month of July and also includes activities such as swimming, hiking, scavenger hunts, campfires, sports and arts & crafts. Every year campers make new friendships, improve their leadership abilities and deepen their Orthodox Christian faith.

With the blessing of Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, the Youth Department of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America invites all Orthodox Youth to participate in the first annual Youth Pilgrimage Walk. The procession will take place over the Labor Day weekend (September 4-7, 2015) and cover approximately 35 miles. During this procession the participants will not only visibly and openly bring Orthodox Christianity to those outside the Church, but also will participate fully in the life of the Church by preparing together and partaking of the Holy Mysteries each day of the pilgrimage. Yes - even when camping on the procession route we will serve the Divine Liturgy and the other Divine Services!  Join us! REGISTER TODAY!! Click on the link to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ebsyzvXaSm08DvTg5E22WxBx07PY_w0ACcEnx55Vl18/viewform?c=0&w=1