The 100th anniversary of the repose of St. John of Kronstadt was celebrated on Saturday, November 1, at the parish named in honor of St. John, in Utica, NY.  This was the very church where the glorification of St. John by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad took place.  His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, officiated at the All-night vigil and at Divine Liturgy.  Faculty and seminarians of Holy Trinity Seminary served in the altar and sang in the choir, including the rector of HTS, Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), Archpriest Gregorgy Naumenko, and Dimitry P. Anashkin.

Bishop Peter, a graduate of Holy Trinity Seminary and member of the brotherhood of Holy Trinity Monastery, gave a sermon about the parish, acknowledging the efforts of the rector, Fr. Michael Taratuchin, and Protodeacon Joseph Jarostchuk. Following the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Michael expressed his gratitude to Bishop Peter on behalf of the parish.  As a blessing of this day, the faithful in attendance received an icon of St. John of Kronstadt, and along with a short history of the parish, and the life of St. John for children written by Matushka Maria Naumenko. At the festal luncheon, which followed the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Peter and other clergy addressed the audience asking for aid for the St. John of Kronstadt Fund, which raises funds to aid the poor in countries of the former Soviet Union and in South America.