On Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of October, the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, as well as the day when the Church commemorates the Holy Hierarch Jonah of Hankow, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York performed an archpastoral visit to St. Nicholas Church in Stratford, CT.

On Saturday evening, Metropolitan Nicholas officiated the All-Night Vigil, co-served by Bishop Jerome (Shaw). Serving alongside the hierarchs were: Archpriests Serge Lukianov (dean of New Jersey), Constantine Semyanko (rector of Holy Presentation Church in Stratford, CT), and Dimitri Jakimowicz (parish rector), Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY), Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ), and Deacon David Dutkanicz (parish cleric). Praying at the service was parish Protodeacon Paul Giatas.

On Sunday morning, His Eminence was greeted by warden John Alexander Kendall. After the greeting, Metropolitan Nicholas celebrated Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad were Bishop Jerome and several diocesan clerics: Archpriests Serge Lukianov, Dimitri Jakimowicz, Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" Church in Staten Island, NY), Priest Andrew Podymow (cleric of Holy Protection Church in Nyack, NY), Frs. Eugene Kallaur, Paul Drozdowski, and David Dutkanicz.

During the services, the parish choir sang wonderfully under the direction of Matushka Maria Dutkanicz.

At the reading of the Hours, Metropolitan Nicholas tonsured parishioners Yevgeniy Reznichenko and Herman deMayo, readers.

At the Little Entrance, for his devoted service to the Holy Church, His Eminence awarded Deacon David the right to wear the double orarion.

The church was full of parishioners and guests, most of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

At the end of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas congratulated the clergy and faithful on their jubilee and reminded them how important it is to prayerfully resort to the intercession of the church’s Heavenly patron, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In connection with the jubilee and for their labors on behalf of the parish, His Eminence awarded Fr. Dimitri, the administration, and parishioners with a Synodal gramota.

When Fr. Dimitri became rector of St. Nicholas Church in 2018, he immediately began restoring and adorning the church, including painting the interior of the church. Iconographer Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski has already painted four evangelists around the dome of the church and is currently working on the next project – 40 medallions with images of saints. Fundraising for the church painting began five years ago, when the parish celebrated its 90th anniversary. Each family of the church parishioners contributed to the project and the money was collected in two years, but the beginning of the painting had to be postponed due to constant roof leaks.

In honor of the jubilee year, Metropolitan Nicholas also presented Fr. Dimitri with a jeweled pectoral cross made in honor of the centennial of the Russian Church Abroad. Matushka Larissa Jakimowicz was awarded a diocesan gramota for her tireless work, including in the sisterhood and choir.

Fr. Dimitri presented Metropolitan Nicholas with a bas-relief depicting one of the founders of the parish – the famous aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky, who founded an aircraft manufacturing plant in Stratford, which has been its city-forming enterprise for many decades and where Russian-speaking employees also work.

Then the clergy and parishioners went to a festal banquet, where Fr. Dimitri spoke about plans for the development of the parish; parishioners and guests were offered a wonderful meal and performances by professional singers and dancers who are parishioners of the church.