The faithful community of Saint Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Kalispell MT had the special joy of welcoming our Diocesan Hierarch, Archbishop MAXIM and a host of visiting clergy for our Annual Slava celebration of Saint Herman’s glorification the weekend of August 7-8.

His Eminence arrived on Friday, August 7, 2026 and blessed the ongoing construction of the new Orthodox Church building and fellowship hall that begun just after the great feast of Pascha this year.

The blessing of the project was prayerfully attended by Very Rev. Protopresbyter Stavrophor Russel Radoicich, our own Dean of the Butte Deanery and longtime Priest of Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte MT and founder of our own community, alongside Rev. Hieromonk Ephraim of Saint Peter Monastery in Harrison MT, Rev. Protodeacon Dragan Stojanovich from Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Jackson CA, Rev. Deacon Ananias Sorem serving at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte MT, Rev. Deacon Steven Kennedy of Saint Elias Orthodox Mission in Diamond Springs CA, and our parish priest Rev. Panayiotis Tekosis together with the parish council members and the many regular Orthodox faithful in Kalispell.

That same evening, His Eminence attended Great Vespers at Saint Herman’s and offered a blessing to all the faithful present. Between Friday’s liturgical events, His Eminence had the opportunity to visit in person and offer words of wisdom and encouragement to members of our community who were preparing to receive ordination and tonsure at His hands the following day.

His Eminence arrived for Festal Matins in the morning of Saturday, August 8. At the conclusion of the service Reader John Henderson was tonsured a Subdeacon, and Moses Breckenridge and Guy John Peabody parish council Vice President and member-at-large respectively, were tonsured Readers by His Eminence. Subdeacon John was then directed to stand before the icon of Christ Pantokrator at the iconostasis and prayerfully await to be summoned by His Eminence.

The Altar was prayerfully surrounded by Very Rev. Archpriest Gregory Horton of Holy Myrrh-bearers Antiochian Orthodox Church in Naples ID, Rev. Hieromonk Ephraim of Saint Peter Monastery in Harrison MT, Rev. Protopresbyter Laurent Kleenewerk De Kiev of Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Sandpoint ID, Rev. Protodeacon Dragan Stojanovich of Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Jackson CA, Rev. Deacon Ananias Sorem of Holy Trinity in Butte, MT, Rev. Deacon Steven Kennedy of Saint Elias Orthodox Mission in Diamond Springs CA, Rev. Deacon Joseph Green of Holy Myrrh-bearers Antiochian Orthodox Church in Naples ID, and our parish priest Fr Panayiotis Tekosis.

During the Entrance with the Gospel at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, His Eminence honored the faithful community of St Herman’s by elevating our own priest Fr Panayiotis to the rank of Protopresbyter.

In His homily to the faithful after the reading of the Gospel, His Eminence underscored the significance of Saint Herman’s living example and ministry to those whom God surrounded him with in the wilds of Alaska. Archbishop MAXIM encouraged all in attendance to learn from Saint Herman’s humble approach toward others, his example being both simple and profound. Our Archbishop finally congratulated the faithful on their continued striving to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and invoked the blessing of Saint Herman on the community’s future endeavors.

At the appointed time after the Anaphora and consecration of the gifts and the liturgical summons of our Archbishop, the Reverend Deacons serving the Altar proclaimed ‘command’ as they brought forward Subdeacon John to be ordained a Deacon by His Eminence. At the Hierarchical invocation of the All Holy Spirit the clergy in attendance knelt with compunction while chanting ‘Lord have mercy’.

At the conclusion of His prayers, Archbishop MAXIM proclaimed ‘Axios’, ‘He is Worthy’, ‘Dostojan’ for the newly ordained Deacon John Henderson. All in attendance joyfully echoed the proclamation, and the Divine Liturgy proceeded with the new Deacon’s first Liturgical Litany. The communion of the faithful followed after being called to approach ‘in fear, with faith and love’.

Following the prayer at the Ambo a festive Slava procession followed around the Church building culminating with the blessing and breaking of the Slava Bread in front of the Church.

The Divine Mystagogy was followed by a festive fellowship meal under the tent with honored Kumovi Dr. Michael and Betsy Cathey and all clergy in attendance. The community was blessed to have the main dish offering of the day provided and prepared by Mark and Lauren Stoddard of Meadowvale Farms in Eureka MT.

Our fundraising team presented to all in attendance our new capital campaign video and received the popular acclamation to share it widely on social media as we further pursue construction on the new buildings.

The day continued with a program of singing by the young of the parish, musical and vocal performances by Guy Peabody, Joseph Kabacinski, together with Deacon Ananias who sung American folk songs, and folk dancing by the faithful. Having bestowed so many blessings to the community of Saint Herman, His Eminence departed Kalispell to continue His travels to Alaska. Eis Polla Eti Despota!

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