The two-day celebration of Pentecost and Holy Spirit Day at Holy Trinity Seminary & Monastery on June 15-17 (see the Holy Trinity Monastery website for liturgical details) included significant personal moments for one current seminarian and two alumni.  

After the Sixth Canonical Hour preceding the Hierarchal Festal Liturgy for Pentecost on Sunday, June 16, His Grace Bishop Luke tonsured seminarian Ananias Ananievski from Australia as a Reader. Reader Ananias will transfer, this fall, God-willing, from Seminary’s undergraduate degree program to the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program.

During the Small Entrance, Vladyka elevated Deacon Peter Markevich to the rank of Protodeacon in recognition of his dedicated service to the Church. Protodeacon Peter graduated with the Seminary’s Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) with the Class of 2013. In addition, he serves on the faculty of the Seminary as part-time Lecturer in Liturgics and works for Holy Trinity Publications as Sales & Marketing Manager.

Holy Spirit Day, the altar feast of the Monastery and Seminary, customarily draws many visiting clergy and pilgrims to Jordanville, after they celebrate Pentecost Sunday in their home parishes. On Monday, June 17, more than 30 priests and 16 deacons greeted Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, who, along with Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, joined Bishop Luke for the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy. This year was particularly festive: it marked the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Protodeacon Joseph Jarostchuk to the Holy Diaconate.

Protodeacon Joseph graduated from the Seminary’s Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) with the Class of 1964. Assigned to St John of Kronsdadt Russian Orthodox Church in nearby Utica, NY, he has been a beloved, regular, and dependable presence at Holy Trinity Monastery for various liturgical services for all 50 of his years of service.

In recognition of that milestone, the bishops, clergy, and some laity of the Eastern American Diocese (EAD) gave Protodeacon Joseph new green and blue vestments, a purple kamilavka, and a large hand-painted icon of the Mother of God from the Kiev Pecherskaya Lavra. The excess of donations were donated to the St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Fund in Utica in honor of Fr. Joseph and Matushka Irina. 

The commemorative gifts continued. Our Synod of Bishops also bestowed upon Protodeacon Joseph the Order of the Kursk Mother of God, 2nd Degree. The EAD awarded Matushka Irina a diocesan Gramota for her diligent service to the Church.  Holy Trinity Monastery gave the Jarostchuks a beautiful icon of the Mother of God, and Camp NORR gave them a commemorative plaque. 

A joyous reception in the Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov Hall in the Seminary building followed the luncheon in the trapeza that had been organized by Protodeacon Joseph’s family, including his three sons: Protodeacon Alexander, Reader Vasily, and Reader Ilia. Besides the exquisite food and drink, attendees enjoyed an extensive slideshow of photos spanning Protodeacon Joseph’s 50 years of diaconal service together with other venerable and memorable clergy of ROCOR.