On December 17, the feast of the Great Martyr Barbara, the clergy of the Eastern States deanery concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Little Falls, New Jersey. The Divine Liturgy was led by the Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov.
Concelebrating with Fr. Igor were: the Dean of the Eastern States, Priest Julian Ryabtsev; the rector of St. John the Baptist Church, Priest Alexis Paraniuk; the rector of St. George Church in Bayside, New York, Archpriest Igor Tarasov; the rector of St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, New Jersey, Archpriest Michael Kapcicz; the rector of Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Passaic, New Jersey, Priest Stephen Kaznica; the Vice-Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Priest Mark Rashkov; the rector of Holy Cross Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey, Priest Andrew Macy; the cleric of St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, New Jersey, Priest Dimitri Sukhorukov; and the rector of the Church of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land at the Patriarchal metochion in Pine Bush, New York, Priest Artemy Kulikovsky. The rector emeritus of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Archpriest Emil Minkovich, also prayed at the Divine Liturgy.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Igor greeted the rectors and clergy of the Eastern deanery parishes who had gathered, as well as the parishioners and guests of the church.
After a common meal, an official meeting of the deanery was held, at which current issues of its parishes were discussed.
In the afternoon, Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov and the clergy accompanying him visited Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Passaic, New Jersey, where they met with the rector of the parish, Priest Stephen Kaznica, who showed them the cathedral and told them about the history and present-day life of the parish.
