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Saint Philaret Orthodox Mission Chapel Our Faith We believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of our Saviour Jesus Christ which has been preserved for us by the Faithful. Our Bishops are the Successors of the Apostles and even today reject the innovation which seeks to creep into our faith through modernism and false ecumenism. We celebrate by the "old-style" Julian Calendar. Our Mission Parish is within the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and a part of the Holy Orthodox Church of North America (HOCNA) which is an Eparchial Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece. Our services are 95 percent English with some Greek and Church Slavonic. Our parishioners are of various nationalities and backgrounds. We welcome those of all walks of life to visit our mission parish and experience the beautiful worship services preserved from ancient Christian times. There are many icons of our cherished Saints throughout the chapel. We also have some literature that you are welcome to take with you. Our Parish It was soon after the Glorification of the New Confessor Saint Philaret, the weekend of May 19-20, 2001, (NS), that our mission parish was originally established. This was decided in the House Chapel (dedicated to Saint George) of Father Peter & Matushka Dionysius Farnsworth. It was after Liturgy one day that Fr. Peter announced that His Eminence Metropolitan Ephraim had recommended that we consider naming the new mission after Saint Philaret. Immediately after the announcement, the candles that were lit, all united as a single flame that took us by surprise! One of the women present said that this may be the confirmation of our new Patron Saint. And so, it is today! Fr. Peter and Matushka graciously and diligently served the small community of faithful, holding the full cycle of services. We will never forget that tiny little Grace filled chapel! As a memorial, we have preserved the Altar Fr. Peter made and use it here at Saint Philaret’s! In May of 2003, Sub-deacon Jacob Wojcik was elevated to the Diaconate and began learning to serve. It was early in 2005 that Fr. Peter was transferred to Three Pillars of Orthodoxy Parish in Carlisle, PA. Deacon Jacob was then asked to move the mission from Worcester and establish it in Western Massachusetts. After moving from one temporary rented room to another for the next year, a suitable location was found to rent at our present location in the basement (catacomb) of a “Days Inn Hotel” office park. We are in Chicopee, MA immediately off Exit 5 on the Massachusetts Turnpike just outside of the city of Springfield. This area is a perfect location for those traveling, as we are at the crossroads of North/South and East/West Interstates of routes 90 and 91. Visitors always say they forget that they are in a “hotel” once they come through the door of the chapel! The chapel has most everything we need for the services. Little by little we are acquiring the tools needed for the services. The chapel, more so each week, becomes a comforting place, filled with the Grace of God, with many icons, service books, and supplies donated by the generosity of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Holy Nativity Convent, our own parishioners, and anonymous donors. We can feel the support of our Orthodox Fathers, Mothers, brothers and sisters, especially through their prayers for us. Though our mission consists only of twelve families which total thirty-seven faithful, we are blessed to be able to sustain ourselves. We have three grandmothers that have a living Orthodox tradition that is so beneficial for us. We are blessed with dedicated parents, and we are blessed with young teens and children for our future. Our families come from the three states of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The furthest commuting faithful travel about 1-1/2 hours. Our youngest child Ezekiel is not quite a year and Ya-Ya Cassandra is 97! For those of you who do not know Ya-Ya, you may know her by her handiwork of crocheting the black and white blankets at all our monasteries and convents. She likes to keep everyone warm! Up until a few months ago she was still able to make it to church. Just recently she had a fall, and this has kept her from coming. Please pray for her! Deacon Jacob is here on Saturday evening for Vespers and each Sunday for Readers Service. We have been blessed by Metropolitan Ephraim to retain reserve Holy Communion for the Readers Service and to serve the sick and elderly of our parish. During the service on Sunday, we usually read a sermon from Saint Philaret, Archbishop Andrei, or a reading from one of the lives of the Saints. We thank His Grace Bishop Demetrius, who has been coordinating the schedule of our services of visiting clergy and visiting us regularly. We are very thankful for the service of Fr. Dimitry Kukunov, his Matushka Tatiana, and their family, for the kindness of Fr. John Flesser and the faithful of Saint Anna’s Parish, for sharing Fr. Dimitry with us! Father has a great love for Saint Philaret and for us. When Father cannot serve, Abbott Papa Isaac at the Monastery has always been generous in sending us one of his fine Priestmonks. Visits from local clergy in addition to those already mentioned include our Elder and Founder Fr. Panteleimon Archimandrite, Abbott Fr. Isaac Archimandrite, Priestmonk’s Theodore, Parthenius, Ignatius, Job (from the Ukraine) Archdeacon Andrew, Priest’s Fr. George Kochergin, Fr. Peter Farnsworth, Fr. John Routos, and Fr. Deacon Jacob’s beloved Godson, Fr. Samuel Sub-deacon Monk. Since we are within a one and a half hour ride from the Boston Metropolis, we have the great fortune of having many different clergy serving us, and we benefit by hearing the latest news and the progress of missionary work throughout the world. We ask you to please remember us in your holy prayers here at Saint Philaret’s Mission. Pray that we may lead by example. Please pray for our growth in membership, that others may be saved from the deception of this world. For outreach, we have our website here at www.saintphilaret.org and had some “Orthodox Church, Heaven on Earth” pamphlets printed with our contact information for inquiries which are available outside our Chapel. With God’s mercy, His help, and our fervent prayers and labor, others will follow (some have inquired already) and ultimately, we hope to purchase a piece of property, build a holy temple, and become a more visible witness in our area to the service of God, and a witness to the purity of our Holy Orthodox Christian Faith! Thy Holy Will be done O Lord! Amen.

This has been from me Saint Philaret's Tomb Pic 1 Pic 2 click image

Saint Philaret Orthodox Mission Chapel Location: Days Inn - 450 Memorial Avenue - Chicopee, Massachusetts 01020 [Springfield] Deacon: Jacob Wojcik - (413) 848-0431 (services in English)