On Monday, July 27 and Tuesday, July 28 the St. Vladimir parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan marked its 45th anniversary. In many ways the St. Vladimir parish is a continuation of the St. Hilarion parish that existed in Ann Arbor in the 1950s, and was one of the four parishes that made up the short-lived Diocese of Detroit and Flint, headed by Archbishop Jerome (Chernov). When Archbishop Jerome reposed in 1957 the diocese of Detroit and Flint was merged with the Diocese of Chicago and Cleveland and was renamed the Diocese of Chicago and Detroit. When the priest serving the St. Hilarionr parish, Fr. Peter Demett, died in 1961 the parish was closed.

In 1981 the St. Vladimir parish was founded with the blessing of Archbishop Alypy. Many of the original parishioners of the St. Vladimir parish had been members of the St. Hilarion parish, but after twenty years many had gone to their eternal reward. In an act of continuity with the original parish, one of the icons in the main row of the parish iconostasis is of Venerable Hilarion the Great. One parishionder of the St. Hilarion parish still survives, Mrs. Natalia Dale, and if the Lord’s blesses she will celebrate her 100th birthday on January 7, 2027.

The 45th anniversary of the St. Vladimir parish began with the arrival of Bishop Michael of Boston, who presided at the Divine Services for the parish anniversary with the blessing of Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, and Bishop Spyridon of Chicago and Mid-America. Also serving at the Divine Liturgy for the feast were:

Archpriest Gregory Joyce, Rector of the St. Vladimir Parish

Priest Gabriel Bilas, Rector of the St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Fenton, Michigan (OCA)

Priest Thomas Sprunger, Rector of the St. Paisius Parish in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Priest Colin Bower, Cleric of St. Vladimir Parish

Priest John Castillo, Cleric of Holy Trinity Parish in Windsor, Ontario

Priest Jacob Ponomarenko, Cleric of St. Sergius Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio

Priest Vladimir Pyrozhenko, Cleric of St. Vladimir Parish

Priest Michael Moibenko, Cleric of St. Vladimir Parish

Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov, Cleric of Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Des Plaines, Illinois

Protodeacon Joseph Appling, Cleric of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Deacon Dimitry Kashchenko, Cleric of St. Vladimir Church

Deacon Alexei Wilson, Cleric of Dormition Cathedral in Ferndale, Michigan

Following the Liturgy, Bishop Michael led the cross procession typical to the Slavic Orthodox Churches on parish patronal feast days. At the third stop of the procession His Grace blessed the newly-repaired and refurbished cupola atop the parish church, being lifted into the air to sprinkle the cupola with holy water by a special lift used for work in elevated places.

After the completion of the cross procession and the intoning of “Many Years”, the parish gifted Bishop Michael an icon of St. Mardarije of Libertyville, who reposed in Ann Arbor in 1935, making Ann Arbor one of the very rare American cities with an Orthodox patron saint. God willing, the parish intends to break ground on a new parish church when Bishop Spyridon visits in August. Upon completion of the new church, the present church will be named after St. Mardarije.

Following the thanksgiving prayers Bishop Michael, the clergy, and the faithful gathered in the parish’s Ann Arbor Orthodox Classical Academy hall for a festive luncheon prepared by the parish’s St. Ksenia Sisterhood and St. John Brotherhood. The reminiscences of the day’s events and the 44 St. Vladimir Days past lasted well into the afternoon. In the evening His Grace Bishop Michael returned to the Eastern American Diocese, and the parish family began to plan for the visit of Bishop Spyridon and the next steps in the building of their new parish church.

FULL PHOTO ALBUM (photocredits Natasha Joyce): https://stvladimirchurch.smugmug.com/2026/Tuesday-July-28-2026-St-Vladimir-Day-45-Years