Orange County Parish Slava
On Sunday, September 21, the Orange County parish in Irvine celebrated their Slava – the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. On a beautiful sunny day, His Grace Bishop Maxim served a hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the packed hall of the 
Marriott Hotel in Santa Ana, California, where the parish has been meeting every Sunday for Divine Liturgy for the last few months. The long-time Rector of the parish, Fr. Blasko Paraklis, co-celebrated the Liturgy.
Many faithful came from Orange County and all over Southern California to share the joy of being together in the presence of God on the
Slava day, including Fr. Michael Tasos from St. Luke Church in Garden Grove, Fr. Georgiy Gulin from St. Barbara Russian Church, and Fr. Rubin from St. Mary Macedonian Church from LA. People of Serbian origin, Russians, and Ukrainians, as well as many Americans of all skin colors who have no Slavic ethnic ties, members of this parish manifested their faith, unity, and brotherly love, as one Body of Jesus Christ on that day.
Speaking of love, many parishioners worked tirelessly to make the Feast glorious. Some of them got up at 4 a.m. to start preparing the abundant banquet food, the Slavski kolach, zito, and to make the hall ready. The banquet was a wonderful opportunity for the faithful to be together and to talk with Bishop Maxim, who cordially invited everyone to sit close to him.
The banquet concluded with the sincere prayers that our next Parish feast/Slava be celebrated in our own facility.
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