Sandpoint, Idaho
April 26, 2026

The crisp morning air of Northern Idaho was filled with an ancient resonance this past weekend as His Grace Bishop Maxim, accompanied by hieromonk Basil (Gavrilovic), traveled to the newly established parish of Holy Apostles. Though the community was organized only six months ago under the leadership of Fr. Laurent Cleenewerck and his family, the growth witnessed here is nothing short of a modern-day apostolic miracle. What began as a small seed has blossomed into a vibrant community of over seventy faithful. Upon arrival, the atmosphere was one of palpable “awe and joy.”

The faithful gathered to await their archpastor, their voices rising in the traditional chanting of “The Angels Cry”. Prior to the Divine Liturgy, the parish celebrated the growth of its minor clergy. Two faithful members, Michael and Seraphim, were tonsured as Readers, committing themselves to the service of the Word and the beauty of the sanctuary.

The Liturgy itself was a tapestry of prayerful splendor, with the choir’s chanting led by Matushka Irene. The harmony of the voices provided a bridge between the earthly and the divine, setting the stage for the archpastoral sermon.

Taking his inspiration from the Gospel account of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, Bishop Maxim delivered a moving reflection on the nature of faith and human anxiety.

He spoke of the women approaching the tomb with a singular, heavy question: “Who will roll away the stone?” Bishop Maxim noted that this question echoes through every human life, representing the burdens and obstacles that feel immovable to us.

“Many of the solutions to our deepest anxieties are already being worked out by God, even if they are not yet visible,” His Grace reminded the faithful. Just as the women found the stone already moved by divine power, we are reminded that the empty tomb is not a place of absence, but the ultimate source of revelation. The Bishop emphasized that the Christian life is a “continual movement toward encounter,” urging the parish to see the Church not just as a building, but as the living place where we meet the Risen Lord.

The spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist, where many approached the Holy Chalice, was followed by a vibrant display of the parish’s youthful spirit. The children of the community took center stage, chanting the profound poems of St. Nikolai of Žiča and Ohrid.

In a beautiful nod to the local heritage of the American expression of Holy Orthodox, they also performed an Appalachian-style “Christ is Risen!”—a rendition that brought immense joy and smiles to everyone present, bridging ancient tradition with the local cultural landscape.

The day concluded with a “great agape meal,” a feast of fellowship where the growing family of Holy Apostles shared food and conversation. As Bishop Maxim and Fr. Basil departed, they left behind a community that, though young in months, is clearly deep in roots and soaring in spirit.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!