ROCOR Subdeacon Invites Rep. Joe Wilson to Divine Liturgy

Subdeacon Gregory Levitsky closes out Tuesday afternoon's press conference. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Subdeacon Gregory Levitsky attends the parish of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, a community of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) located within Rep. Joe Wilson’s district in South Carolina.

As a constituent of the congressman – who just last month condemned meetings of Orthodox Christians with legislators on Capitol Hill, alleging that they “could serve as vehicles” of foreign influence – Levitsky offered the closing speech at the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Tuesday press conference at the House Triangle.

First offering thanks to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna for giving the pan-Orthodox gathering the opportunity to make their voices heard and to the numerous senators and representatives who held meetings with members of the Society of St. John, Levitsky then noted that he was asked to speak on the “ill-informed and defamatory comments made by my own congressman.”

“When Orthodox Christians from several jurisdictions came to Washington last month to speak with our representatives and with the White House Faith Office about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Joe Wilson singled out and attacked my church as an extension of the Russian state, and our pleas on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be an intelligence operation,” he said, adding that as a constituent and an American, he was dismayed and hurt at this sentiment.

Levitsky added that Rep. Wilson wouldn’t meet the bishops who made the trip to Washington, and he hasn’t even visited the ROCOR parish in his own district. 

“He even criticized President Trump’s administration for wanting to meet with American citizens about their concerns,” the subdeacon said. “Our church was founded expressly to safeguard the Orthodox faith during years of communist rule and has a strong history of independence.”

With deep ties to the Ukrainian church and with broken hearts in seeing churches seized, clergy and parishioners beaten, and the holy things desecrated by “agents of President Zelenskyy’s government,” Levitsky also pointed out that ROCOR’s fund for assistance has raised over half a million dollars for victims and refugees of the war in Ukraine.

“We’re not merely American citizens; not one of the bishops of ROCOR is Russian born,” Levitsky continued. “Among our clergy and parishioners, including my own father, are veterans who have served this country honorably. Some of them are chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces. Among our clergy and parishioners are Ukrainians themselves, including refugees from this war.”

Wilson’s comments are irresponsible and dangerous, Levitsky stated, and he used his opportunity at the press conference to ask for a formal apology.

“Congressman Wilson, I say again: There’s a ROCOR parish in your district… you’re invited to come and visit us,” he said. “You’re invited to see our ancient worship of the Lord Jesus Christ and to repent of the false witness that you have borne against your own constituents and against loyal American citizens.”

When a delegation of the Society of St. John went to Rep. Wilson's office later in the day on Tuesday, they discovered a locked door with an "appointments only" sign. While it is not confirmed, it can be inferred that this was due to the Society of St. John's Day of Action, as those participating encountered no other member of Congress whose office was as such. 

Ukrainian activists who were outside of Rep. Wilson's office shouted, "Glory to Ukraine!" at the Society's delegation, to which they responded with, "Glory to God!" One of the Ukrainians then responded – in Russian – by saying, "You don't belong here." A clergyman with the Society calmly shot back by asking, "Whose country is this?"

Levitsky was also able to slide a page with information about the persecution of the UOC under Rep. Wilson's office door, which he posted about on X.

Levitsky finds a way to get information to his representative. Photo: Gregory Levitsky/X

Previously, UOJ reported that U.S. representatives showed solidarity with the plight of the UOC during a press conference on Tuesday.

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