On Sunday, 15 March 2020, St. Innocent of Irkutsk Orthodox Church was blessed with the arrival of a relic and icon of St. John the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco. Hierodeacon Seraphim (Balagtas), cleric of St. Innocent, travelled to San Francisco from Friday-Saturday to receive the relic in person from His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, First Vicar of the Western American Diocese of ROCOR.

While in San Francisco, Fr. Seraphim was able to deliver numerous letters to St. John, written by parishioners and friends of St. Innocent parish.

Upon arrival back in Michigan on Sunday morning, Priest Joshua Genig, Rector of St. Innocent, greeted the relic and icon of St. John at the main doors to the parish and then placed them in a newly constructed shrine. Following the Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by the Archpriest Roman Star (Retired Rector) and attended by a great number of parishioners and friends of St. Innocent, the Akathist to St. John was served and a procession was made with his relic and icon around the temple, asking for the intercession of the Wonderworker on behalf of the parish and the parishioners during this time of great national and international strife. 

In the coming weeks, in addition to the full Lenten schedule of services, St. Innocent parish will regularly serve the Akathist to St. John until this current health pandemic subsides.