(Bixby, OK) His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah has concluded his Archpastoral weekend trip to Holy Apostles Church. The Metropolitan arrived on Friday, November 5 and offered a lecture at Grace Lutheran Church in Tulsa on the Orthodox Faith.
On Saturday, November 6, His Beatitude, accompanied by Priest Ambrose Arrington, Rector of Holy Apostles and a group of faithful from the parish travelled to the oldest parish in the DOS, Sts Cyril and Methodius Church in Hartshorne, OK. Sts Cyril and Methodius is also the oldest Orthodox Church in the Oklahoma. His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy there and afterwards spoke with the Hartshorne faithful about the possibility of a new women’s monastic community being established in Hartshorne. The community embraced the vision with great enthusiasm.
On Saturday evening, His Beatitude traveled back to Bixby for Great Vespers and then on Sunday led the community in worship at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at which time Priest Ambrose Arrington was awarded the Gold Cross for his faithful service as rector of Holy Apostles. Also at the Liturgy, His Beatitude performed two Reader tonsurings. Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak and Deacon Steven Kroll assisted His Beatitude at the Liturgy. A celebratory luncheon followed the Liturgy before His Beatitude departed back to New York on Sunday evening.