By the infinite compassions of our God, and with hearts burning with ineffable joy, on St. Thomas Sunday, the twenty-seventh day of April, in the Year of Our Lord 2025, we were vouchsafed to celebrate the 109th Slava of our most beloved parish. Our festal rejoicing was crowned by the presence of His Grace, the Right Reverend Irinej, Bishop of Washington–New York and Eastern America, who presided over the Divine Liturgy in hieratic splendor and paternal love.

On the eve of the feast, His Grace arrived to bless the faithful at the Vespers service, filling our hearts with anticipation for the great day to come. Then, on Sunday morning, before the beginning of the Hierarchical Liturgy, during the sacred chanting of the Doxology, His Grace tonsured new readers, entrusting them to the service of the holy temple, that they might grow ever deeper in the beauty of our Orthodox faith, rooted in love and steadfastness.

It was a day touched by heaven — as every day is when we assemble in love — listening to the profound and life-giving words of our Bishop, who unfolded for us the wondrous "Mystagogue - Paschal adventure": how it begins with the longing heart of Zacchaeus, wherein we come to know ourselves; journeys through the sacred struggle of Great Lent where we come to know Christ, Who revelas Himself to us; and blossoms after Pascha in the renewal of our baptism and prepares us for sanctification of our five senses, ushering us into the ineffable joy of the Risen Lord.

This year's honored Kumovi, Mr. Blake and Mrs. Stephanie Pantelich, lovingly offered the Koljivo and the Slavski Kolach to be blessed on this solemn and radiant day for our parish.

A sumptuous trapeza of love was set forth by the labors of the faithful, as a banquet of thanksgiving unto the Lord, and a sign of unity and charity toward all who had come to rejoice with us.

Moreover, the day was adorned with sweet melodies, as Mr. Nikita Burakovski and his son Nikita Junior played the piano and violin, filling the hearts of the faithful with heavenly gladness.

And as a firstfruit of the feast, our beloved sister in Christ, Akilina, offered a hand-painted icon of Saint Irenaeus of Lyon — the patron saint of our Bishop — as a fragrant offering of love and prayer, beseeching his continual remembrance of us before the Throne of God, and entreating his frequent return to our humble parish.

At the conclusion of the sacred festivities, His Grace spoke words of blessing and exhortation, giving thanks to God for His abundant mercies, and expressing his fervent hope that, as one family in Christ, we may continue to assemble in love and joy for many years to come, walking steadfastly toward the Kingdom which has no end.

To the risen Christ be all glory, honor, and worship, unto the ages of ages. Amen!

Borjan Vitanov, Presbyter-Economos