Nine Baptized at Montana Parish on Feast of the Protection

KALISPELL, MT — Nine people were baptized into the Orthodox Christian faith at St. Herman Serbian Orthodox Church in Kalispell, Montana, on October 14, 2026, as the parish celebrated the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Sacrament of Baptism was celebrated by the parish rector, Fr. Panayiotis Tekosis. The newly baptized received their first Holy Communion during the festal Divine Liturgy.

The parish shared congratulations and prayers for the newly illumined and their godparents, asking God to grant them many years. The community also celebrated the occasion with the Paschal proclamation, “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Alleluia!”

The baptisms mark another milestone for the young parish, which began as a mission with a handful of families in the summer of 2014. Under Fr. Panayiotis’s leadership since August 2021, the congregation has continued to develop its Orthodox Christian presence in northwestern Montana.

In May 2026, the parish broke ground on a new church building dedicated to St. Herman of Alaska. The project followed years of growth, during which the community transformed an old building into a place of Orthodox worship. The new construction represents the next stage in the parish’s development as it serves a growing congregation.

Previously, the UOJ reported that ten members of the same family were baptized Orthodox in Texas.