On Saturday, December 20, the feast of Holy Hierarch Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA & Canada Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated Divine Liturgy in Sts. Peter & Paul Cathedral in Passaic, NJ.
His Grace was concelebrated by clergy of the Eastern States Deanery, led by its dean Archpriest Mikhail Kapchits.
Singing at the liturgy were parish choristers and guests from St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, NJ.
At the conclusion of the liturgy, Bishop Matthew greeted the assembled clergy and faithful with a sermon on the life of St. Ambrose. He likewise wished all the clergy a fruitful continuation of the Nativity Fast and upcoming celebration of the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In recognition of his labors in the parish, His Grace presented a directive to parish cleric, Hieromonk Seraphim (Balagtas), appointing him rector of the cathedral.
On behalf of the clergy of the Eastern States Deanery, Fr. Mikhail thanked Bishop Matthew for his prayers and attention shown to the faithful despite His Grace’s demanding schedule and assignments.
A bountiful luncheon was held in the parish hall where interaction continued.
In the second half of the day, Fr. Mikhail Kapchits assembled deanery clergy for a year-end meeting underlining the various achievements in the outgoing year, and plans for the future.
Photos: Priest Nicholas DeGraaff
