On May 16, 2026, Saturday of the 5th week of Pascha, a concelebrated Paschal service led by Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, took place at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
At the Divine Liturgy the archpastor was joined by a host of clergy from the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in the USA: the acting Chancellor, Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov); the Dean of the Eastern States, Archpriest Michael Kapcicz; the Dean of the Atlantic States, Archpriest John Vass; the Dean of the Central States, Priest Joshua Genig; the rector of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Philadelphia, Archpriest Gregory Winsky; the head of the chancery, Priest Mark Rashkov; and rectors and clergy of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. The deacons were led by the head of the hierarchical protocol service, Deacon Alexis Golubov.
The liturgical hymns were sung by a combined choir of St. Michael the Archangel Church, St. Andrew Cathedral in Philadelphia and St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Numerous parishioners of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in the USA prayed at the service.
After Holy Communion, the clergy and laity, led by Bishop Matthew, went in procession around the church singing Paschal hymns.
At the end of the service, the rector of the parish, Archpriest Gregory Winsky, on behalf of the parish council and parishioners, thanked the archpastor for the honor of celebrating the concelebrated festal service at St. Michael the Archangel Church and, in memory of the visit, presented the bishop with an icon of the Archangel Michael and the book “St. Tikhon — The People’s Patriarch” by Professor Scott Kenworthy, which the author had presented at this church during a conference marking the 100th anniversary of the saint’s repose.
Bishop Matthew addressed those gathered with a sermon on the Bright Resurrection of Christ and expressed particular gratitude to the rector and the whole parish for the excellent organization of the concelebrated service. Fulfilling the humble request of the rector and parishioners, Bishop Matthew gave St. Michael the Archangel Church, for the prayerful veneration of the faithful, an icon with a particle of the holy relics of the Heavenly Patron of North America — St. Tikhon the Confessor, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’.
The archpastor thanked all the clergy and laity who had come to take part in the Liturgy and conveyed to them the blessing and good wishes of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’.
The celebration concluded with the proclamation of Many Years to the Primate, the bishop, the clergy and the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America.
Fellowship continued at a fraternal meal prepared by the sisterhood led by Matushka Dayana Winsky, during which the clergy were able to discuss with their archpastor various matters of the life of their parishes.
At the conclusion of the visit, Bishop Matthew, accompanied by Archpriest Gregory and Matushka Dayana, visited the parish center and Sunday School, where projects proposed by the rector for developing parish life were discussed.
