CHESTERTON, IN [DOM] – On Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, the clergy and faithful of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, in Chesterton, Indiana, welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of Chicago and the Midwest for his first archpastoral visit to the parish. The weekend began with Great Vespers on Saturday evening, served by Priest Anthony Saunders, Rector, and Deacon Jordan Kingery, diocesan seminarian traveling with His Eminence. The choir was directed by Reader Simeon Sabourin. Following the service, a dinner was held in the parish hall.
On Sunday, His Eminence presided at the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy. He was joined by Fr. Anthony, Priest John Russin, Deacon Paul Garklavs, and Deacon Jordan Kingery. The choir was again under the direction of Reader Simeon Sabourin. During the Little Entrance, Priest John Russin was elevated to the dignity of Archpriest.
After the Gospel reading, His Eminence spoke about the spiritual labor of the Apostles Fast, which contrasts with the worldly desire to slow down and take it easy during the summer months. It is good to take time for ourselves, but as the Archbishop emphasized, “since we are Orthodox Christians, taking time for ourselves does not mean we take time off from being Christians, from living the Faith. We never take time off from that.” Rather, taking time for ourselves means making room in our lives to focus on the most important things, to seek first the Kingdom of God. Archbishop Daniel went on to speak of the exceptional example of how to rightly prioritize one’s life, given by the parish’s patron, St. Elizabeth the New Martyr. His Eminence encouraged those present to put Christ first, not only in thought, but also in action.
Following the Divine Liturgy and Prayers of Thanksgiving, lunch was served in the parish hall, as the faithful enjoyed another opportunity to spend time getting to know their Archpastor.
