On Saturday, August 21, His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki in Spotsylvania, VA. Concelebrating with Very Most Reverend abbot were monastery clerics Hierodeacons Mark (Sanford) and Silouan (Brown). Praying in church were Hieromonk Aidan (Keller; monastery cleric), Priest John Cook (rector of St. Tikhon Church in Ruther Glen, VA), and Hierodeacon Alexei (Dixon; cleric of Sts. Sergius & Herman of Valaam Monastery in Atlantic Mine, MI).

During Liturgy, before the Trisagion, Fr. Aidan was tonsured to the Lesser Schema.

His Eminence joined the choir in singing the sessional hymn from the Canon from Sunday of the Prodigal Son: "Make haste to open unto me Thy Fatherly embrace, for I have wasted my life in prodigal living. In the unfailing wealth of Thy compassion, O Saviour, turn not away from my heart in its poverty, for with compunction I cry unto Thee, O Lord: ‘O Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee.’"

The choir was led by Hierodeacon Alexei and Novice Andrew (Lenehan).

Upon completion of the service, Metropolitan Jonah greeted those gathered, thanking them for coming to support and bear witness to Fr. Aidan’s tonsure, encouraging them to pray for him in his new monastic degree.

Following Liturgy, a festal luncheon was offered in the monastery refectory.