On March 19, on the Third Sunday of Lent, Rector of St. George Church, Archpriest Igor Tarasov, Dean of the Eastern States of the Patriarchal Parishes participated in this year’s second Lenten Mission Vespers served in our Deanery. This day such service had been celebrated at the Elevation of the Holy Cross Church in Hackettstown, NJ.

Mission Vespers was headed by Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes, Archpriest George Konyev and co-served by our Rector, Archpriest Igor Tarasov, as well as by Hieromonk Stephen (Bushman), cleric of the Three Saints Church in Garfield, NJ, Priest Aleksiy Paranyuk, Rector of St. John the Baptist Church in Little Falls, NJ, and Deacon Andrew Massey, cleric of the Holy Cross Church in Hackettstown, NJ. Unfortunately, Rector of the hosting parish, Archpriest John Kassatkin was ill and could not join our clergy at the Mission service.

Following the Great Prokimenon a sermon in English was delivered by Priest Aleksiy Paranyuk.

After the Vespers dismissal Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes expressed his gratitude to the clergy and lay people present for their participation in the Mission service. Following the service in the temple, a delicious supper was offered to the guests of the Hackettstown church in its parish hall.