Richfield, Ohio, November 3, 2026
Photo: Diocese of Eastern America of the SOC
His Grace Bishop Irinej of Washington-New York and Eastern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church blessed the ground and turned the first shovels of dirt for a new pavilion at New Marcha Monastery, also known as Holy Archangel Gabriel Monastery, on Oct. 27.
The pavilion will be named in honor of St. Petka, the diocese reports.
The groundbreaking followed a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy honoring St. Petka, also known as the Venerable Mother Paraskeva. Faithful from several jurisdictions gathered at the monastery for the services.
Bishop Irinej was concelebrated by Serbian and ROCOR clergy. The Liturgy was sung by the New Marcha Monastery choir and singers from churches of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Deaneries. Mother Paraskeva (Milosavljevic), abbess of the monastery, also chanted during the Liturgy.
Photo: Diocese of Eastern America of the SOC
After the Gospel reading, Bishop Irinej gave a homily in Serbian and English on the ascetic life of St. Petka, the patron saint of Serbian women. Near its conclusion, the Slava rite was observed in honor of St. Petka-Paraskeva, the monastic patron of Mother Paraskeva.
After the cutting of the festal bread, the clergy and faithful processed outside to the site of the pavilion while singing St. Nikolai (Velimirović’s) Hymn to St. Petka. Bishop Irinej blessed the ground and named the pavilion in honor of St. Petka. He then presented Mother Paraskeva with a carved wooden cross, which he received in Australia from the St. Sava Monastery Brotherhood in Elaine, Victoria, along with a copy of their icon of the Three-handed Theotokos.
The day ended with an agape meal in the monastery refectory, prepared by the St. Petka Circle of Serbian Sisters of the Holy Archangel Michael Parish in Akron, Ohio.
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