St Basil the Great Orthodox Church was welcomed into the 41 st year of its existence by the visitation of our diocesan locum tenens His Eminence Gabriel, Archbishop of Montreal and Canada. Because Vladyka could not come to the parish on its patronal feast on January 1/14, he visited St Basil’s on the previous weekend, the Sunday after the Nativity.

Two days before the archbishop’s arrival the news spread through the diocese and beyond that Archpriest Christopher Stade, the longtime rector of St John Chrysostom parish in House Springs, MO, after several years of sickness fell asleep in the Lord. The funeral for the newly- departed was scheduled for the following Monday, January 12. Some of the clergy who were coming to Fr Christopher’s funeral participate in the Divine Services at St Basil’s.

***

On Saturday, January 10, Archbishop Gabriel presided over the Vigil at St Basil’s, which was very well attended by the faithful. At the First Hour, the two men who were to be tonsured readers the next day received a blessing to wear cassocks. The evening concluded with the traditional for St Basil’s after the Vigil pizza meal for the clergy, the choir and the altar servers.

The next morning Archbishop Gabriel arrived at St Basil’s and was greeted with flowers by the children and by the bread and salt by the parish warden Andrew Johnstone. Serving alongside of the archpastor were Archpriest Sergii Alekseev and Priest Thomas Nichols (St Basil’s), Priests Tiberiu Opris (Apostle Thomas (OCA), St Louis, MO), Noah Reeves (Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY), Archdeacon Sergius (Holy Cross Monastery, Wayne, WV), Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov (Holy Virgin Cathedral, Chicago, IL), Deacons Peter Longan (St Valdimir’s, Ann Arbor), Ephraim Galloway, Ivan Alekseev, Daniel Simpson (St Basil’s clerics).

Before the Divine Liturgy, James Loughran and Afanasiy Klein were tonsured Readers: James is assigned to St Basil’s and Afanasiy – to the recently formed Holy Royal Martyrs Mission in Montgomery City, MO.

At the Small Entrance, Deacon Peter Longan was awarded the right to wear double orarion. After the Great Entrance, St Basil’s Deacon Daniel Simpson was ordained to holy priesthood. Following the Eucharistic canon, Subdeacon Seth Williams was ordained to diaconate to continue serving St Justin’s Mission in Cape Girardeau.

The faithful were communed from three chalices. The choir during the archpastoral visitation was conducted by Carol Surgant.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. Archbishop Gabriel greeted the faithful with the holy days of the Nativity and encouraged them to stay strong in the Orthodox Faith, utilizing the modern technology such as Orthodox Calendar app which can be very useful in keeping up with the Scripture Readings and the saints commemorated every day of the year.

The festivities continued in the church hall where plentiful meal was prepared for the guests and the parishioners.

***

That Sunday afternoon, the newly-departed Archpriest Christopher Stade was vested at the funeral home by the local clergy and brought to St John Chrysostom Church in House Springs. With Fr Christopher in the church where he served for many years, Vespers was served by Fr Noah Reeves. Then Archbishop Gabriel presided over the panihida, co-served by the local clergy. All through the night the Gospel was read over the newly-departed.

On Monday, January 12, the morning began with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, where alongside Archbishop Gabriel served the clergy who con-celebrated in St Louis on Sunday, with the addition of Hieromonk Rafael (St George Church, Michigan City, IN), Archpriest Mikhail Volzhanskii (Dormition Cathedral, Ferndale, MI), Priests Zachary Rose (Sts Peter and Fevronia Church, Kansas City, KS), Matthew McDonald (Holy Archangel Michael Church (OCA), St Louis, MO) and Joel Wilson (Annunciation Church (OCA), St James, MO). The Divine Liturgy was followed by the Funeral for the Priest. More local priests joined the clergy for the funeral: Protopresbyters Panagiotis Kostoulas and Joseph Strzelecki (Assumption Church (GOA), Town & Country, MO) and Priest Michael Arbanas (St Nicholas Church (GOA), St Louis, MO).

The choirs for the Divine Services, conducted by Reader Constantine Stade and Nicholas DeGaramo, singing antiphonally, were comprised of the members of the Stade family and their close friends. Their singing was both powerful and prayerful.

Archbishop Gabriel gave the eulogy, at which he highlighted the milestones on Fr Christopher’s life, emphasizing his role at the shepherd of souls and gifted translator of the patristic literature from classical Greek. The archpastor expressed his hope that one day St John Chrysostom Church will have a priest who will continue Fr Christopher’s work in Christ’s vineyard. Fr Michael Arbanas, who ministered to Fr Christopher during his years of sickness and especially during his last days, was asked to read the Prayer of Absolution for his spiritual child.

After the final kiss, the casket was closed and the clergy carried the remains of their departed brother around the church and then down to St John’s cemetery, where, following the litia, the casket was lowered into the grave.

***

The next day after the funeral for Fr Christopher Stade and Archbishop Gabriel’s departure, St Basil the Great Orthodox Church in St Louis celebrated its patronal feast. Although our archpastor could not be with us for that feast, the parish gathered to honor the saint whose name it bears.

The Divine Services were celebrated by the parish clergy and Archpriest Mikhail Volzhanskii who was still in town after Fr Christopher’s funeral. On the eve of the feast the Vigil with litia was served. The feast day itself was begun with the Lesser Blessing of the Water, continued with the Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great, the Cross Procession and the festive meal in the church hall and the church outdoors dining area. The choir for the feast was conducted by David Peck.

The freshness of air was felt by all when the Cross Procession began. The day was fair and not too cold, but the wind was strong, challenging those who did not wear hats and playing tricks with the church banners and clergy vestments.

Thus, St Basil’s parish has entered into the 41 st year of its life.