On August 5, the Orthodox Church honors the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. It was in honor of the Pochaev Icon that, with the blessing of the ever-memorable Metropolitan, the community in North Port in West Florida was established.

On Sunday evening, August 4, All-Night Vigil was served with a litia. At Matins, prior to the Polyeleos, the clergy and parishioners served an akathist to the Our Lady of Pochaev, sung congregationally. Officiating the evening service were Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk) and Deacon Alexander Kharitoniuk (parish clerics), joined by Priest Mykhailo Mykhailenko (cleric of St. Vladimir Church in Miami, FL). Singing on kliros were the rector, Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk), Hierodeacon Paisius (Alexeevets), and other church singers.

On the morning of the feast proper, the Lesser Blessing of the Water was performed prior to Liturgy. Celebrating Divine Liturgy were: Fr. Stefan, Archpriests Yaroslav Lutoschin (cleric of St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon Church in Pompano Beach, FL), Sergei Maliuk (cleric of Three Hierarchs Church in Hollywood, FL), and Aleksandar Djurdjevic (rector of St. Sava Serbian Church in North Port), and the above-mentioned clergy.

The service was adorned by the beautiful singing of the trio, comprised of Hieromonk Arkadii, Irina Levitsky, and Natalia Klyusov.

After Liturgy, Fr. Mykhailo offered a didactic sermon, in which he revealed the very deep significance of the readings for the feasts of the Theotokos, as well as reminding all of the importance of reading Holy Scripture for every Christian.

In the center of the church, the priests and faithful sang the Magnification to the Mother of God and the prayer "O my Most Blessed Queen."

Fr. Stefan also greeted all with the patronal feast, and thanked the priests and guests for their joint prayer. It should be noted that it was not only clergy, but faithful who came from various Florida parishes to share in the feast. This is especially important and pleasant in light of the fact that August 5 saw inclement weather conditions in Northwestern Florida on account of Hurricane Debby.

The feast concluded with a fellowship luncheon.