The parish of St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Church in Utica, NY celebrated its parish feast day on Saturday, November 1. All-Night Vigil was served the even prior: Friday, October 31, by parish rector Archpriest Michael Taratuchin, co-served by Priest Ephraim Willmarth (parish cleric), Priest Nicholas Wildman (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY), and Protodeacons Alexander Jarostchuk (cleric of Holy Epiphany Church in Roslindale (Boston), MA), Michael Soloviev (cleric of Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Albany, NY), and Michael Pavuk (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery).

The following morning, over 200 parishioners and members of the faithful from other parishes gathered with the clergy to greet the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian-Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, followed by the meeting of His Grace Luke, Bishop of Syracuse, after which the divine services began. Concelebrating with the vicar of the Eastern American Diocese at the hierarchal Divine Liturgy were:

• Archpriest Michael Taratuchin
• Archpriest Dionisy Nalitov (rector of St. Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT)
• Priest Dmitri Don (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery)
• Hieromonk Anatoly (Zilin; cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery)
• Priest Ephraim Willmarth
• Priest Nectarios Yangson (guardian of the Hawaiian Icon)
• Priest George Sharonoff (rector of St. Stephen Church in Old Forge, PA)
• Priest Photie Erdman (rector of the Chapel of the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus in Morris, NY)
• Priest Nicholas Wildman
• Protodeacon Alexander Jarostchuk
• Protodeacon Michael Soloviev
• Protodeacon Alexander Kichakov (cleric of the Mid-American Diocese)
• Protodeacon John Dean (cleric of St. John the Baptist Catehdral in Washington, DC)
• Protodeacon Michael Pavuk
• Deacon Nicholas Kolasz (parish cleric)
• Deacon Michael Sementsov (parish cleric), and
• Deacon Lazarus Sparandera (parish cleric).

A full choir, led by parish choir director Matushka Natalia Don, beautifully and triumphally sang the Divine Liturgy and moleben.

Everyone present was spiritually uplifted by the moving service and presence of the Most Holy Theotokos through her holy myrrh-streaming icon. Words alone cannot describe the joy felt by all the serving clergy and faithful.

A festal banquet was served in the parish hall after Liturgy, with fellowship, live music, and a raffle.

The ever-memorable Protodeacon Joseph Jaroschuk (+2024) was fondly remembered by all with various remarks, among them by long-time parishioner and parish council member Joseph Nimey, culminating in "Memory Eternal" being intoned.

The parish is very grateful to not only its clergy, sisterhood, and parishioners, who prepared for this day, but also to the visiting clergy and faithful, who came to support and pray in the church, some of whom visited for the first time. Well-wishes were expressed for the new warden, Alexander Derevenets, and to head sister Valentina Banziger, who stepped down as head of the parish sisterhood after 18 years of service, replaced by the new head sister, Tatiana Kalavazoff, a long-time parishioner and daughter of the parish.

Memory Eternal to Leonid Kallaur and Michael Sementsov (father of the parish’s Deacon Michael), who both recently reposed this past month.