Archpastoral visit to the faithful in Eugene

On Saturday, January 10th, 2015, on the occasion of his archpastoral visit to the faithful in Oregon, His Grace Bishop Maxim traveled from Portland to Eugene to celebrate the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy at St. John the Wonderworker Serbian Orthodox Church. Traveling with him were Fr. Milan Unkovic and a number of the faithful of St. Stephen the Protomartyr and Archdeacon of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Portland. Also traveling with His Grace was the diocesan deacon, Deacon Zoran Aleksic. Together, they concelebrated with the clergy of St. John, Fr. Daniel Mackay and Deacon Stephen Dyer. 

As the first Saturday after Nativity, the joyous afterfeast of Nativity amplified the already festive solemnity of the Divine Liturgy wherein Christians experience the unity for which our Lord prayed in the hours before His Passion. After the Liturgy, the parish hosted a generous feast for all, after which His Grace sat with the faithful and answered questions that ranged from inquiries about the Divine Services, how to raise children in the Church, and how to prepare for Holy Communion. His Grace's answers were comprehensive, theological, and always respected the freedom of the human person. For example, at one point he noted how, while we always respect the canons, that which is canonical can be uncanonical if it is imposed in a tyrannical fashion. His discourse, which was much appreciated by the faithful, was a celebration of the freedom that our Lords bestows us in His perfect Love.

After the feast, His Grace toured the work space of a local artist developing some iconography for the parish. He visited a sick parishioner at her home, offering consolation and blessings, and then he returned to Portland.

Source: Western American Diocese