On February 18/5, 2025, the mission parish in North Little Rock, Arkansas dedicated to the Theotokos, “Seeker of the Lost,” celebrated its eighth annual parish feast day. Utilizing the services so beautifully composed by the departed Elder Nikolai Golubtsov and faithfully translated by Priest Nathan Williams, the faithful and their many guests were uplifted by the encouraging and exhortative words praising and entreating our beloved lady Theotokos.

Guests and clergy traveled from their home parishes in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas for what has become a small annual pilgrimage for many. The festive vigil was followed by a generous evening meal prepared by parishioners and on the day of the feast itself, The Divine Liturgy (which was preceeded by the traditional blessing of water) and moleben was attended by many and was succeeded by a bountiful barbecue picnic at a nearby clubhouse to accommodate the many visitors and faithful. To the great joy of the parish, more than 60 communed on a Tuesday morning in Arkansas, in spite of looming ice and snow. By God’s mercy and through the prayers of the Theotokos, the many travelers returned home safely and all present look forward eagerly, God willing, to the celebration of this wonderful feast again in 2026.

Concelebrating with Priest David Carder (rector) were our beloved Dean, Archpriest Sergei Alexeev (St. Basil, Saint Louis, MO), Archpriest Seraphim Holland (St. Nicholas, McKinney, TX), Archpriest Christopher Stanton (St. Peter, Lebanon, TN), Priest Alexis Baldwin (Ss. George and Alexandra OCA, Fort Smith, AR), Priest Matthew Floyd (St. Benedict, Oklahoma City, OK), Priest Nicholas Olsen (All Saints of America, De Queen, AR), Priest Tomislav Savic (Archangel Michael Serbian, Hot Springs, AR), Deacon Stephen Zelesnik (St. John, New Roads, LA), and Reader Jacob Stanton (St. Peter, Lebanon, TN). The deep fellowship between the visitors and the faithful and the liberal hospitality extended by the people of the parish was a testament to the great mercies God has shown to His little flock in central Arkansas. The celebration was seen to be deeply impactful for the many inquirers and catechumens of the parish as they experienced their first “altar feast” of their church. Regrets for the inability to attend and greetings with the feast were sent from all across the nation and, truly, the mission felt and saw the fruit of the many faithful who regularly pray for God’s work in this small vineyard.

Father Sergei shared the greetings with the feast from Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal and Canada, encouraging the small but quickly-growing mission of our recently-widowed diocese under his care to continue in their faithful work and ensuring them of his prayers as they seek a larger space to accommodate their increasing number of attendees and begin a building fund to assist in this endeavor.

Fresh in the minds of all the parishioners was the mournful loss of our beloved Hierarch, Archbishop Peter (Loukianoff) of Chicago and Mid-America. It had been the hope and intention that he would attend this feast day and rejoice in the growth and faithfulness that has blossomed in this extension of his flock. He is dearly missed and will always be remembered as a benevolent shepherd that had faith in the nascent community that began to worship together in 2017. May his memory be eternal!

Father Sergei gave an inspiring and exhortative homily and his warm and gracious presence was a reassuring joy to the many parishioners who have come to know and trust in him and a felicitous blessing to all who met him for the first time on these festive days. The parishioners of Seeker of the Lost give thanks to God, who has been so munificent with His love and mercies and has bestowed so many spiritual blessings and so many encouraging pastoral guides and advisors upon this community of brothers and sisters in Christ, through the prayers of the Theotokos!

“Before thy precious icon the sea of life surgeth, O Mistress, and with ceaseless entreaties and unshaken hope do sinners now stretch out their hands to thee. Save those who are perishing in the abyss of ungodliness, who are greatly spent by wickedness, and with the billows of thy compassion cast them forth upon the shore of salvation, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Seeker of the Lost, that deliverest from eternal death through love!” ––verse from the stichera of Lord, I have cried