In spite of the proximity to the American feast of Thanksgiving (which had many parishioners traveling) and the arrival of the first significant snowfall of the year, on Saturday November 30 the clergy and faithful of St Sebastian Orthodox Church gathered, along with many friends and supporters to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in honor of their heavenly patron and intercessor: St Sebastian (Dabovich) of Jackson.

Father Micah Chisholm, Rector of St Sebastian parish served the Divine Liturgy with Fr Jesse Rimshas of St Jacob's Orthodox Mission in Ishpeming, MI concelebrating with him. In all nearly forty of the faithful partook of Holy Communion.

This feast day was the fifth celebration of its type since the assignment of Fr Micah to serve the parish by +Archbishop Peter of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America and the faithful prayed for their recently reposed and much beloved Vladyka Peter as part of their festal celebration.

Near the end of the Liturgy the Serbian Slava Service was celebrated by Father Micah, paying homage to the homeland of St Sebastian's ancestors (and the place where he fell asleep in the Lord) as well as to the beginnings of the parish, which first began as a mission under (now) Metropolitan Longin of the Serbian Diocese of the Midwest/New Gracanica.

In 2025 St Sebastian parish will celebrate the 10th anniversary of her founding and plans are currently underway for marking this significant milestone.

Photo credits: Juliana Rimshas & Pamela Lysaght