Abp. Michael Celebrates Divine Liturgy During Archpastoral Visit to New Jersey Parish
Abp. Michael’s visit to a New Jersey parish combined solemn worship and festive fellowship, highlighted by music, clergy concelebration, and a moving witness of faith amid personal hardship.
JACKSON, NJ — The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church in Jackson, New Jersey, welcomed Abp. Michael for an archpastoral visit on Sunday, January 11, 2026, marking a significant day in the life of the parish.
His Eminence presided at the Divine Liturgy, with liturgical responses offered by the parish choir under the direction of Tatyana Halitskaya. Following the service, the choir continued the celebration by performing traditional Ukrainian carols during a festive parish luncheon.
Concelebrating with Abp. Michael were Archpriest John Prokopiuk, rector of the host parish, and Archpriest Volodymyr Zablotskyy, rector of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Yonkers, New York, together with Dn. John Suchernick. Sbdn. Mark Federoff and Andrew Karlgut, along with parish altar servers, assisted in the altar.
Parishioners were especially moved by the presence of Dn. John Morvay, president of the Parish Council, who attended despite ongoing chemotherapy treatments, offering a quiet yet powerful witness of faith, perseverance, and dedication to the Church.
Previously, the UOJ reported that the OCA announced its 2026 church-planting grant recipients.
