On March 15, the second Saturday (and first Soul Saturday) of Great Lent, with the blessing of His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) paid an archpastoral visit to St. Martin of Tours Mission in Montgomery, AL, where he celebrated Divine Liturgy for the Departed.

Serving alongside the hierarch were parish clerics: rector Priest Elias Crowder, Priest Joseph Gagliano, and Deacon Stephen Sellers, joined by Archpriest Mark Tyson (rector of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Tobaccoville, NC) and Deacon Peter Epstein (cleric of St. Mary of Egypt in Roswell, GA).

Prior to the start of Liturgy, Sergius Jenkins and Mark Gagliano were tonsured readers, after which Reader Sergius was ordained a subdeacon.

After the Eucharistic Canon, Subdeacon Sergius was ordained to the diaconate. The newly ordained Deacon Sergius will fulfill his service at St. Martin of Tours Mission.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Jonah delivered a sermon on the importance of expressing genuine love toward one another while working in the mission field.

After the service, the sisterhood organized a luncheon, during which the His Eminence led a Q&A session on various spiritual topics.