OCA Music Ministry Leader Recognized After 35 Years of Service

MELBOURNE, FL — Matushka Doreen Bartholomew has been recognized for more than 35 years of service to Orthodox Church in America (OCA) music ministries, with her work strengthening parish choirs, liturgical education, and access to musical resources across multiple dioceses.

Matushka Doreen’s path into Orthodox liturgical life began in Japan, where she first encountered the faith and learned Japanese as her first liturgical language. After returning to the United States with her husband, Fr. John, she served as choir director at parishes in the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, including St. John the Theologian Church in Shirley, New York, and Our Lady of Kazan Church in Sea Cliff, New York. She helped lead bilingual services in Church Slavonic and English while training and encouraging parish singers.

Alongside her professional career in New York City, Matushka Doreen contributed organizational skills to church music initiatives. As co-chair of the Diocesan Commission on Liturgical Music, she organized workshops, prepared service materials, and expanded access to large-print liturgical publications. She also served the Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir as business manager and later president, coordinating performances, travel, and repertoire planning.

After retiring, Matushka Doreen and Fr. John moved to Melbourne, Florida, where she continued her ministry by assisting the choir program at St. John the Merciful Mission in South Orlando. Her decades of dedicated service have made her a candidate for the Order of St. Romanos.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Anthony presented a church award to presidential aide Yury Ushakov.