His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon Presides at 110th Anniversary Celebrations at St. Vladimir Church in Trenton, NJ
On Saturday, October 18, and Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Michael, Archbishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon made an archpastoral visit to St. Vladimir Church in Trenton, NJ, to preside at their 110th anniversary celebrations.
On Saturday evening, Priest Volodymyr Chaikivskyi, Rector, celebrated Great Vespers. At the conclusion of the service, he welcomed His Beatitude and His Eminence to the community for the joyous celebration of their founding. Before joining parishioners for a meal in the parish hall, His Beatitude toured a traveling icon exhibition, developed and curated by iconographer Lydia Lynette Hull, which was brought to the parish for the weekend.
On Sunday morning, His Beatitude presided over the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were Archbishop Michael, Father Volodymyr, and visiting clergy.
In his homily, His Beatitude paid special attention to the meaning of the seed as the word of God in Christ’s Parable of the Sower (Lk. 8:5-15). His Beatitude said, “Our task, then, starts with hearing and keeping the word. Of course we hear this word every Sunday and feast day in Church, when the clergy proclaim the Gospel. But it should also be happening on a daily basis; we should constantly be searching the Scriptures. St. Ambrose says that God still walks in Scripture as if in a garden, calling out for fallen man. If we wish to hear the voice of his calling, we must read the words of the Scripture.”
Read the full text of His Beatitude’s homily
Following the Anaphora, His Eminence ordained Mr. Alen Basil Berck to the holy diaconate. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a Synodal Gramota was presented to the parish in recognition of their anniversary. His Beatitude also shared primatial greetings with Archpriest Paul Shafran, Pastor Emeritus, who faithfully served the community for over seven decades. To commemorate the visit, the parish presented His Beatitude with a set of episcopal vestments.
A festive luncheon in the parish hall concluded the celebrations.