Rector’s Report at the 2020 Annual Parish Meeting
of Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Meriden, Connecticut

65 adult communicants, 33 children and youth

1 baptisms, 2 chrismations, 1 marriage, 3 funerals

This year has been unlike any other, with trials and strains that threaten our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. And yet we continue to see clear signs that God is good and loves mankind! In January we welcomed Chris Eckels through Chrismation. Even under the duress of COVID, we found the way to welcome Lukas and his father Trevor Starks into the household of faith in a double baptism and chrismation, and to rejoice in the marriage of Rebecca Swimmer and Michael Pannone. May God grant them many blessed years! We grieve for the departed since our last annual meeting: Gloria Milewski, John Herbert, and Clara Orlawski. May their memory be eternal!

Obviously, the shadow of COVID has transformed all our parish activity for the year. In March, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon directed all OCA parishes to suspend in-person activity. All the COVID directives of Metropolitan Tikhon and the Holy Synod of Bishops have been undertaken with great care, to faithfully apply Orthodox understanding to the present crisis. We have wrestled in our own parish with the challenges of COVID, and have striven to walk the narrow path of respecting civil authority and the danger to our community, while not being consumed by fear—living out our high calling as followers of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pick up our cross and follow him. We scrambled to adapt, and began streaming services online so that we could worship together. I have also worked to ensure that our parishioners are provided materials to inform their spiritual lives and enable everyone to follow the days and seasons, no matter their particular circumstances. 

In June, we were permitted to slowly open up the church for in-person worship, allowing us to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in time for our parish feast. This and every step in response to COVID required our Parish Council to develop safety procedures, which have been a model in our diocese. I am especially grateful to Rick Comshaw for his expertise. More recently, this culminated in purchasing an ozone generator, which we have used to disinfect the church between services as needed.

We are grateful for all those who have used their talents to build up our liturgical life. Thomas Crosby has led the choir with grace and creativity, under great constraints. Readers and singers have offered their gifts in person and online. Our altar servers glorify God both in liturgical duties and new safety responsibilities. Likewise, we rely on those working to greet and guide newcomers.

These efforts required several technological improvements—see its own report for details. They also forced us to adapt our fellowship and community outreach. We have tried to stay well-connected with phone calls, online and even in-person gatherings as possible, and initiatives like “Secret Santa.” I am grateful for Donna Leonowich’s concern and leadership in this area, for Cyprian Kolpakov’s card-writing ministry, and for the outreach of so many. The work of our Charity Fund has had to shift from community visits to more targeted support, but we look for opportunities to show love.

Education has gone entirely online this year—excepting a beautiful Sunday celebrating the Cross. M. Jenny has published newsletters, shared family resources, and led online classes for the children. I have hosted “Exploring Our Faith” sessions online with a variety of participants—fresh topic suggestions are always welcome!

Pastoral ministry cannot be entirely online—although I have counseled and heard many confessions this way. I have found ways to meet safely with “social distancing” as well, but respecting the limits of each parishioner. It is especially hard that I can rarely visit medical settings. I hope and expect all of us to return to fuller participation as the threat of COVID recedes in the coming months.

Stewardship remains a great challenge for our parish, irrespective of COVID. But I have witnessed this year a renewed spirit in the parish to meet challenges with creativity, collaboration, and faith. If we are blessed in our worship, if we are encouraged in fellowship, if we know what God has done and what he calls us to, then good stewardship is a natural outpouring. It involves the whole of our life, including our budget, but embracing our time and talents as well. The Parish Council has proposed a bold budget, asking much of our parishioners, but only because the mission of our church is worth much. I ask you to make your church and our God your first priority.

Other parish work continues apace. The Building Committee has worked for years now to develop a recommendation for our future direction. The Bylaws Committee has completed a new draft revision; we hope to submit a final version to the parish for approval in the coming months. Our parish hosted the Neighborhood Association before COVID, and remains active still. We have a large parish presence on the Diocesan Council and Assembly. MaryJane Rodgers enthusiastically served as our delegate for the online Assembly, while Alexia Tassmer played a key role to facilitate that online meeting and Rick Comshaw presented a key piece of the Diocesan Strategic Plan—among many other participants! I continue to edit the ONE diocesan newspaper and coordinate Diocesan Communications. 

COVID reminds us that our plans are always “Lord willing.” What we imagine is most important may be impossible, while other work we had overlooked becomes essential. At the same time, we are reminded that God is the Lord, and he is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Gospel is unchanged, and likewise our calling to love God with everything we have and everything we are, and to love our neighbor with the love Jesus Christ has shown us. What we have done and not done as a church must be shaped by sacrificial love for our neighbor, but not be driven by fear, anxiety or doubt. Jesus told his disciples, “In the world, you will have troubles, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”

We are truly blessed as a community—with a rich history, a beautiful church, resources, but above all, people that the Lord has brought together. I am grateful for the commitment and witness of our community, and especially for the hard work of the parish council. This is my thirteenth year of service at Saints Peter & Paul, and I am grateful to God to know each one of you. You are in my prayers. And my greatest prayer remains that we approach the coming year with renewed desire to “commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life to Christ our God.”

With love in Christ, 

Fr. Joshua Mosher

Download the report as a PDF to print or read offline.