GREEN BAY, WI [DOM] – His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest made an archpastoral visited to St. Matthew Church, Green Bay, WI and St. Macrina Chapel, Waupaca, WI on October 18th and 19th.
The Archbishop made his first ever archpastoral visit to St. Macrina the Younger Chapel in Waupaca, WI, on Saturday, October 18th. This chapel had its origins in December 2022, when St. Matthew Church was blessed to begin offering services in this large area of Central Wisconsin with no Orthodox Christian presence. One year later, in December 2023, His Eminence established it as “The Chapel of Saint Macrina the Younger, Waupaca, WI” as a dependency of Saint Matthew Church.
Priest John Thetford, Rector, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, along with Deacon Spyridon Roegner, in whose home the liturgy was held. His Eminence attended and communed, and following the Liturgy, offered reflections on Saint Luke the Evangelist, whose feast day it was, while offering exhortation to the faithful to live their lives in the mode that Saint Luke describes in his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. A potluck fellowship meal, along with much conversation, was shared by all.
Saturday afternoon, His Eminence traveled the 70+ miles to Green Bay, and that evening attended Great Vespers at Saint Matthew Church. He had dinner with the Parish Council following.
On Sunday morning, following Matins, His Eminence presided at the Divine Liturgy. Serving with the Archbishop were Fr. John, Deacon Spyridon, and Deacon Timothy Heinbokel from Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, IL, who accompanied His Eminence. The Archbishop preached on the Parable of the Sower, reminding us to turn to the tools of the church to cultivate ourselves as good soil so that we might receive the Word. Following the Divine Liturgy, a potluck fellowship was held, during which His Eminence was able to speak with many of the faithful, both longtime members as well as newer ones, and even some inquirers.
This was the second time that the Archbishop was able to visit St. Matthew Church, as he had previously visited in November 2022. Close to half of the people at the services over the weekend were not attending an Orthodox church just three years ago. The parish has experienced phenomenal growth over the past several years and continues to welcome many visitors.
