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Orthodox church celebrates

Joan Mead-Matsui Abington Journal Correspondent

“We can’t glorify a pierogi, but we glorify Jesus Christ,” said Father John Kowalczyk, pastor of St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in Jermyn. “I like pierogis but they’re not an end in itself. The holy traditions are important but they become customs and while they’re dear to my heart, that holy supper should bring us to the awareness of why we celebrate that meal as a family.”

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For Father John Kowalczyk, the Christmas season at St. Michael’s Church in Jermyn, shown above, is not so much about the foods prepared but a time to bring people to the awareness of Jesus Christ.

Abington Journal/Joan Matsui

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Homemade bread recipe:

Bread flour, eggs, milk, sugar, east and salt. “We have been making our bread for over 100 years. When making the bread you must sprinkle a lot of love and TLC,” said Father John Kowalczyk, pastor of St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in Jermyn.

“Over 600 loaves of bread was made for Orthodox Christmas and we are planning over $1,400 worth of loaves for Russian Easter,” he added.

For Kowalczyk, the Christmas season is not so much about the foods prepared and served but a time to bring people to the awareness of Jesus Christ. This year, he will celebrate his 25th anniversary as the pastor of St. Michael’s and has been an integral part of the history of St. Michael’s, as well as the preservation and traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

According to Kowalczyk, approximately 30 years ago, the date on which Christmas is celebrated was changed to December 25 from January 7, reflecting the revised Julian calendar. However, in some Russian Orthodox Churches that have retained the old Julian calendar, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after Christmas, on January 7. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas in accordance with the old Julian calendar.

“We celebrate Christmas as the Orthodox community, which is kind of unique. Those who are still on the Julian calendar on January 7, we love and respect,” noted Kowalczyk. “We were able to maintain a lot of our beautiful customs and traditions including the holy supper, the ethnic food supper on the eve of the Theophany on Jan. 5, following church services. We celebrate his birth, but also his redemptive acts.”

When the Orthodox church received its autocephaly (self-governing) from the mother church in Moscow in 1970, the name Russian Orthodox was officially dropped and became the Orthodox Church in America. This is because the church maintains, “wherever orthodoxy goes, whatever country it goes to, it becomes the faith of that country. The Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian Church in the World.

“I’m here to bring the jewel of orthodoxy to this country. The church is made of Greeks, Ukrainians, Russians, Serbians, Poles, and many converts, non-Slavic who embraces orthodoxy. In many ways we are a missionary church, meaning we want to embrace everyone who comes to us, and honor different ethnic groups. Embrace the faith and the tradition,” said Kowalczyk.

On Dec. 25, the Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ begins. From that day to Jan. 4, the day before Theophany Eve, is a fast-free Period. The Eve of the Theophany, Jan. 5, is another strict fast day. On the eve of Theophany, an equally significant Holy Supper is served, consisting of simple ethnic non-meat food such as pierogis, mushroom soup, a variety of fish and vegetable dishes, a homemade bread and a variety of desserts.

St. Michael’s Church is under the arch pastoral leadership of its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah and Diocesan Bishop Tikhon and was organized as a Brotherhood in 1902 as a prelude to organizing a parish and building a church for the future. The difficult work of organizing an Orthodox Church in Jermyn began with the seeds of the Orthodox Faith being sown by this Brotherhood. The humble beginnings of St Michael’s Church can be found in the faith and determination of the Brotherhood and in the founders, the early pillars who signed the charter. On February 8, 1911, nine years after the formation of the Brotherhood, the Charter for St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church was officially recorded in Lackawanna County Common Pleas Court.

“We open our doors to everyone. They could come and see who we are,” said Kowalczyk as he reflected on the Christmas season.