Albany, NY: Bishop Jerome led the 50th Anniversary and Retirement of Archpriest Wsewolod Drobot

September 28, 2012

On Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of September, the weekend following the great feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Jerome of Manhattan paid an archpastoral visit to Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Albany, NY, to lead the 50th anniversary celebrations and retirement of parish rector Archpriest Wsewolod Drobot, as well as the welcoming of the new rector, Archpriest Alexis Duncan.

The All-Night Vigil on Saturday night was well-attended, sung by a strong male choir under the direction of Alexander Cooley. His Grace led the service, co-served by Fr. Alexis Duncan, Archpriest Michael Fritz (parish cleric), Archpriest Brendan Crowley (rector of St. Nicholas Church in Springfield, MA), Priest Gregory-Francis Desmarais (rector of St. George’s Antiochian Church in Albany), Priest Theodore Jurewicz (cleric of Holy Nativity Church in Erie, PA), Priest Andrei Rudenko (parish cleric), Protodeacon Joseph Jarostchuk (cleric of St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Church in Utica, NY), Protodeacon Paul Wolkow (cleric of St. Seraphim of Sarov Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY), and Protodeacon Michael Soloviev (parish cleric). Upon completion of the Vigil, a dinner was served in the parish hall.

The following morning, the services began with the greeting of the bishop at the parish hall, from whence the clergy processed to the church, singing the troparion of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Bishop Jerome celebrated the Divine Liturgy, co-served by the following clergy: Archpriest Nicholas Tkatschow (rector of the Church of the Entrance into the Temple of the Theotokos in Syracuse, NY), Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko (rector of the Church of All Russian Saints in Burlingame, CA), Archpriest Andrei Papkov (dean of Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Chicago, IL), Hieromonks Roman (Krassovsky) and Theophylact (Clapper-DeWell; clerics of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY), Protodeacons Nicholas Drobot (cleric of Holy New Martyrs Church in Norwich, CT) and Alexander Jarostchuk (cleric of Holy Epiphany Church in Boston, MA), Deacon Ephraim Willmarth (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery), Deacon Matthew Markevich (cleric of St. Tikhon’s OCA Monastery in South Canaan, PA), and the above-mentioned clergy. The choir sang beautifully under the direction of Natalie Schuler.

During the Sixth Hour, Reader Gregory Soloviev was awarded the orarion, and Eugene Ryan Fitzpatrick was tonsured a reader and ordained subdeacon. At the Little Entrance, Fr. Michael Soloviev was awarded the kamilavka. The Liturgy was followed by a moleben and procession around the church.

After the service, a jubilee banquet was held in the parish hall, during which Fr. Wsewolod was presented a beautiful oil painting of his recently constructed church, and a book filled with warm wishes and greetings from clergy and parishioners. The sisterhood presented Fr. Wsewolod with a silver frame containing a picture of the fresco commissioned by the sisterhood to commemorate Fr. Wsewolod’s 50 years of service to the parish. Also, a benevolent fund in the name of St. Vsevolod, Wonderworker of Pskov, was started with a $2000 donation by the Church and Sisterhood. A young birch tree was also planted at the entrance to the church to commemorate his long years of service.