Cedar Grove, New Jersey, November 22, 2024
Photo: liturgija.mk
His Beatitude Archbishop Stefan, the primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric, celebrated the divine services this weekend at Sts. Kiril and Metodij Orthodox Church in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
The Archbishop arrived in America on Thursday, November 14, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the parish’s first church, in Passaic. He previously visited the U.S. last August.
His Beatitude celebrated Saturday evening Vespers at the church, assisted by numerous clergy from the Macedonian Church’s Skopje and American-Canadian dioceses as well as the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, reports liturgija.mk.
Photo: liturgija.mk
After the service, a formal dinner was held, attended by various ecclesiastical and public officials, and featuring performances from Macedonian cultural and artistic societies from New Jersey.
In honor of the anniversary, Abp. Stefan honored the Church of Sts. Kiril and Metodij and the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Sterling Heights, Michigan, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with the Archbishop Dositheos Award.
The next morning, the Macedonian primate was again joined by Macedonian and Serbian clergy for the Sunday Divine Liturgy.
After the Eucharistic service, Abp. Stefan served a parastas for all those departed who labored for the good of the Cedar Grove church.
Then the Archbishop consecrated and laid the foundation stone for a new chapel dedicated to St. Paraskeva (Petka).
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