BINGHAMTON, NY---The parish family of St. Michael’s Church will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Archangel Michael and mark a dual anniversary this weekend as they greet His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for his first pastoral visit to the community.

The parish, named in honor the Archangel Michael, was organized in 1904 as a Greek Catholic Church under Rome. Like many Greek Catholic communities in the United States in the 1930s, the parish entered the Orthodox faith. In June, 1939, St. Michael’s received its first Orthodox priest, Fr. Joseph Mihaly.

The weekend celebration will begin at 6 PM with a Service of Intercession to the Mother of God, led by the children of St. Michael’s. Supper and a reception for the youngsters with Bishop Gregory will follow in the Lower Lounge. Responses to the Saturday morning Liturgy will be led by the children, with special prayers for the welfare of their families.

On Saturday, Bishop Gregory will meet with the parish council to discuss outreach and stewardship plans, followed by pastoral visits to some who are ill at home and hospitals.

The parish family will gather at St. Michael’s for Vespers on Saturday evening at 5 PM. A jubilee banquet will follow at St. Michael’s Recreation Center. The program will include a performance by St. Michael’s Carpathian Dancers and remarks by Fr. James Dutko, pastor and Bishop Gregory. The evening reception will conclude with a “meet and greet” for the bishop and the parishioners.

The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday morning, November 16 at 9 AM. Bishop Gregory will be welcomed in the church vestibule with the traditional Slavic gifts of hospitality, bread and salt by Randy May, parish president and Fr. James Dutko, pastor. Responses to the Liturgy will be sung by St. Michael’s Acappella Choir, directed by Kevin Petrosky, and St. Michael’s Seraphim Singers, led by Claudia Rogers. A Brunch will follow in the Recreation Center. In the afternoon.

Bishop Gregory will meet with parish organizations as they share their visions for the future. Fr. Dutko noted that the vision for the parish jubilee is three-fold: “to remember the past; to celebrate the present and to envision and empower the future.”