On Saturday and Sunday, August 27 & 28, His Eminence Archbishop Peter presided at the Divine Services for the patronal feast day of our historical Michigan Deanery Dormition Cathedral in Ferndale. This feast day also marked the cathedral parish’s farewell to its longtime Rector, Archpriest Victor Trotskyy. Fr. Victor was recently assigned to the Dean of the Diocesan Cathedral in Des Plaines (Chicago), Illinois. At the Divine Liturgy the Michigan Deanery Youth Choir, under the direction of Zoya Kotulski, sang several hymns they had specially prepared for Vladyka Peter’s visit, including the Cherubic Hymn. Pictures of the Divine Services and festivities can be found at the link below:

ARCHBISHOP PETER VISIT TO DORMITION CATHEDRAL

On Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27, His Eminence Archbishop Peter visited the St. Vladimir parish in Ann Arbor. During his visit His Eminence ordained Subdeacon Dmitri Mihaliov a Deacon for service to the Ann Arbor community. Also, His Eminence revealed a new icon of St. Mardarije, commissioned by the parish’s Ann Arbor Orthodox Classical Academy. The icon depicts the saint, who went to his eternal reward while a patient at the University of Michigan Hospital, studying in his library. This is a unique, but not completely unknown, iconographic depiction, and the first of its kind of St. Mardarije, the patron saint of the school. At the Divine Liturgy on this day Priest Joseph Towne, cleric of the Sts. Sergius & Herman of Valaam Monastery in Houghton was awarded the right to wear the Nabedrinik and Skufia. Pictures of the visit can be found at the link below:

HIERARCHAL VISIT TO ANN ARBOR

On Sunday, August 15/28, 2022 the St. Jacob Mission in Ishpeming/Marquette blessed their new sign. To learn more about this growing mission please visit their web site:

ST. JACOB MISSION

Please learn more about the offerings at A2OCA at the links below - there are deadlines so read this all and respond today!

ON-LINE PROGRAM

MICROSCHOOLING PROGRAM

Congratulations to our newly-ordained Michigan Deanery clergy!

Hieromonk Alexei (Ordained 7/10/22)
Priest Jesse Rimshas (Ordained 7/12/22)
Deacon Michael Rossmeisl (Ordaine 7/12/22)
Reader George Hunt (Tonsured 7/12/22)
All ordinations and tonsures took place at the Diocesan Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God in Des Plaines, Illinois. Axios!

Please see the ukases from Archbishop Peter below outlining personnel changes in the Deanery. We wish Fr. Victor every success in his new assignment as Dean of the Diocesan Cathedral in Chicago!

UKASE 27/22

UKASE 28/22

With the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion in New York today, Archbishop Peter has blessed the following commemorations in our Michigan Deanery until further notice.

Commemorations for Clergy Service Book

Hierarchal "Many Years"

Please find Archbishop Peter's statement, and instructions to the faithful of the diocese, at the following link.

ARCHBISHOP PETER STATEMENT & INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FAITHFUL

Our parish in Lake Odessa, Michigan, named in honor of St. Herman of Alaska, celebrates their annual feast day on the very day that most Americans celebrate the Nativity of our Lord: 12/25 December. This alignment of dates provides both benefits and drawbacks. For those who do not have many non-Orthodox relatives celebrating Christmas this day it is possible to come to the feast without any difficulties, even from throughout the vast Michigan Deanery. For those with many non-Orthodox relatives celebrating Christmas this day, attending the feast day services in Lake Odessa can indeed be a challenge.

On the eve of the feast the Rector of the parish, Archpriest Michael Carney, led the Divine Services with parish Deacon Elias Reeves. On the feast itself Fr. Michael bolstered the parish choir and Dean of Michigan Parishes, Archpriest Gregory Joyce, led the Divine Liturgy with Deacon Elias.

Following the Divine Liturgy, at which most of the many faithful who gathered partook of the Holy Mysteries, the parish offered a meal to those in attendance. Many lingered far into the afternoon discussing the day’s activities, feast days past in Lake Odessa, the the future of the parish’s efforts to bring the Gospel to those living in this rural area of mid-Michigan.

On November 17/30, 2021 the faithful of Saint Sebastian Orthodox Christian Mission in Traverse City, MI gathered to celebrate their patronal feast day commemorating Saint Sebastian (Dabovich) of Jackson. Joining Father Micah Chisholm, the Rector of St. Sebastian, was Father Gregory Joyce, Dean of the Michigan Deanery of ROCOR parishes.

On the evening of November 16/29 a Vigil service was served and on Tuesday November 17/30 Fr. Joyce led the Divine Liturgy. Both services were well attended by the members of the parish. Following the Divine Liturgy gramotas were given to two of the three founding couples of the mission in recognition for their labors in planting the church. The third founding couple was unable to attend the feast day and will be recognized at a later date. A meal was shared as members old and new shared memories of the founding years and hopes for the future as God directs.

ADDITIONAL PICTURES OF THE DAY