On the evening of September 5, 2026, as part of his visit to the Central States deanery, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, visited the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called in East Lansing, Michigan.
Before the service, the bishop held a working meeting with members of the parish council and the rector of the church, Priest Basil Gross. Also taking part in the meeting were the Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Priest Mark Rashkov, and the Dean of the Central States parishes, Priest Joshua Genig.
After the meeting, Bishop Matthew celebrated Great Vespers with the clergy of the deanery. During the service, the bishop tonsured the church’s altar servers Ezekiel Gross and Silouan Besinger as readers.
At the Entrance at Vespers, for many years of diligent labor for the good of the Holy Church, the archpastor awarded the rector of the church, Priest Basil, the right to wear the gold pectoral cross, and the cleric of the church, Deacon Andrew Shalver, the right to wear the double orarion.
At the end of the service, Bishop Matthew warmly greeted the clergy and the many parishioners, expressing gratitude for maintaining liturgical and parish life at a high level. As a blessing to all present, the bishop gave small icons of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Fellowship between the bishop, clergy and parishioners continued over dinner in the parish hall.
