Archpriest Igor R. Soroka, 96, peacefully fell asleep in the Lord on December 18, 2021 in Monongahela, PA. He was born April 1, 1925 in McKees Rocks, a son of the late Archpriest Gregory and Matushka Anastasia Soroka.
After graduating from Charleroi High School, Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Duquesne University, Father Igor served as a choir director at several Orthodox parishes before he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in Sept. 1959. He served his entire ministry as a parish priest at Saint Nicholas Church in Donora, PA, starting from December 1959 to his retirement in July 2017.
Father Igor’s life was also devoted extensively to music. A graduate of Duquesne University with a B.A. in Music, he was a soloist for the world renowned Duquesne Tamburitzans. During his life, Father Igor wrote and compiled six liturgical music books, all of which are extensively used throughout the Orthodox Church in America. He also was appointed the first director of the OCA’s Department of Liturgical Music, organized numerous national Orthodox choir conferences and conducted several well known choirs, including the former Pittsburgh Male Chorus and the Cathedral Choir of the Pittsburgh Archdiocese. For his lifelong liturgical musical contributions to the Orthodox Church, Father Igor received the Order of Saint Romanos Award from the OCA. In 2009 he was awarded the Order of Saint Innocent, Silver Class, by the Holy Synod of Bishops, and on June 4, 2017 he was blessed with the right to wear the mitre by His Eminence Archbishop Melchisedek.
Father Igor also served as Dean of the Mon Valley Deanery of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania (OCA), national spiritual adviser for the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs of America (FROC), director of the Late Vocations Program of the Pittsburgh Archdiocese, host of the “Orthodoxy: A Living Faith” radio program, and member of the Metropolitan Council of the OCA, beside community positions such as president of the Donora Chamber of Commerce and member of the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association.
In addition to his parents, Father Igor was preceded in death by his wife of Blessed Memory, Matushka Irene Soroka; three brothers, Father Leonid Soroka, Father Vladimir Soroka, and Sergei Soroka; and three sisters, Alexandra (Soroka) Bazil, Zenovia (Soroka) Pecuch, and Sylvia (Soroka) Elnitsky. He is survived and was deeply devoted to his three sons Mark, Matthew (Ann), and Philip, daughter Larissa (Chris) Baker, granddaughter Ali Soroka and grandson Gregory Soroka. Father Igor put emphasis on a tightly knit family.
The schedule of services for Father Igor’s funeral is as follows:
All services will be conducted at Saint Nicholas Church, 1 St. Nicholas Drive, Donora PA 15033.
Tuesday, December 21
3:00 PM - 6:30 PM Viewing in church
6:30 PM Burial Service for a Priest
Wednesday, December 22
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy, followed by the Trisagion Service and Final Blessing
Thursday, December 23
Internment at Saint Tikhon’s Cemetery, South Canaan, PA
In lieu of flowers or gifts, you may make a donation in Father Igor’s memory to Saint Nicholas Church, Donora, PA.
May Father Igor’s memory be eternal!