Met. Tikhon Leads 110th Anniversary Celebration of St. Vladimir Church
Archpastoral visit to New Jersey parish includes ordination, presentation of Synodal Gramota, and icon exhibition highlighting the parish’s rich spiritual heritage.
TRENTON, NJ — On Oct. 18–19, 2025, His Beatitude Met. Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), made an archpastoral visit to St. Vladimir Church in Trenton, N.J., at the invitation of His Eminence Abp. Michael, Archbishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, to preside over the parish’s 110th anniversary celebrations.
According to a release from the OCA, on Saturday evening, Fr. Volodymyr Chaikivskyi, rector of the parish, celebrated Great Vespers, welcoming His Beatitude and His Eminence to the community for the milestone event. Following the service, Met. Tikhon visited a traveling icon exhibition curated by iconographer Lydia Lynette Hull, before joining parishioners for a festive meal in the parish hall.
St. Vladimir Church in Trenton, N.J. Photo: OCA
On Sunday morning, His Beatitude presided at the hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrating with Abp. Michael, Fr. Volodymyr, and visiting clergy. In his homily, Met. Tikhon reflected on the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:5–15), emphasizing the importance of hearing and keeping the word of God daily. “St. Ambrose says that God still walks in Scripture as if in a garden, calling out for fallen man,” he said. "If we wish to hear the voice of His calling, we must read the words of the Scripture."
"The Scriptures, says St. John Chrysostom, are like a river ever flowing, and each generation will draw forth new water. Now, this does not mean truth changes over time; the revealed truths, sacred dogmas, and holy teachings of the Orthodox Faith remain forever. But as our spiritual life deepens, our understanding of these truths becomes ever more profound; the Scriptures reveal new insights. As I have said, these insights often speak to our own sins and struggles and shortcomings. They always bring us to greater knowledge of the inexhaustible mercy of God. Because God is infinite and we are finite, his mystery can never be exhausted; there is always more to learn."
During the Liturgy, Alen Basil Berck was ordained to the holy diaconate by Abp. Michael. At the conclusion of the service, a Synodal Gramota was presented to the parish in recognition of its 110 years of faithful witness. Met. Tikhon also extended primatial greetings to Archpriest Paul Shafran, Pastor Emeritus, honoring his more than seven decades of service to the community.
In gratitude for the archpastoral visit, the parish presented His Beatitude with a set of episcopal vestments. The weekend concluded with a festive luncheon in the parish hall, marking a century and a decade of spiritual growth and service to the Orthodox faithful of Trenton.
Previously, UOJ reported that Abp. Michael visited a parish in Shirley, N.Y., where he enrolled 10 catechumens in a historic weekend.
