Celebration of the Birthday of the Rector of the Brooklyn Cathedral

On September 3, Archpriest Oleksandr, Rector of St. John the Forerunner & Baptist Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, celebrated his 67th birthday.  He is also the Confessor of the parishes of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate.  

This year the anniversary of his birth fell on the 13th Sunday after Pentecost.  Archpriest Oleksandr led the Divine Liturgy in the Brooklyn Cathedral.  Concelebrating with him were Archpriest Vasily Deyak, Fr. Peter Prokoptsov, and Protodeacon George Hero, clerics of the Brooklyn Cathedral, Archpriest Rostislav Zadorozhny, Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Red Bank (New Jersey), Archpriest Maxim Pliskov, cleric of the Cathedral of the Holy Matrona in Miami (Florida), and visiting cleric Protodeacon Demetrius.

The service was well attended by parishioners with outstanding singing by the choir.

At the end of the Liturgy, Archpriest Oleksandr delivered a sermon on the Gospel reading, which was the parable of the evil winegrowers.  He called on the faithful to be more attentive to their spiritual lives, especially in the matter of salvation.

This was followed by multiple birthday congratulation speeches addressed to the Rector.  Archpriest Maxim Pliskov spoke on behalf of Archimandrite Alexander, the Vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate and his eldest son, presenting him with a huge bouquet of flowers.  Ivan, the Warden of the Brooklyn Cathedral and the youngest son of Archpriest Oleksandr, presented his father with a beautiful pectoral cross decorated with enamel.  Archpriest Vasily Deyak, Protodeacon (Professor) George Hero, and Archpriest Oleksandr’s wife Christina also congratulated the Rector on behalf of the parish and the sisterhood of the Brooklyn Cathedral.  Various parishioners then dedicated kind words to Fr. Oleksandr and presented him with many bouquets of beautiful flowers. Protodeacon Demetrius chanted the liturgical proclamation for a prosperous and peaceful life.  The choir performed a special version of “God Grant You Many Years” prepared for this occasion based on a melody from the small town where Archpriest Oleksandr was born.

Lastly, a prayer service was performed for the beginning of the new school year.  Protodeacon Demetrius addressed the students present about the importance and necessity of teaching of the Law of God, which we are all expected to know and follow.

The clergy then anointed the teachers, students, and parishioners present with blessed oil and holy water.