On July 28 (N.S.), the feast of Equal-to-the-Apostles, Grand Prince Vladimir, His Grace, Bishop Luke, our abbot, presided at the hierarchal liturgy.  During the Liturgy, after the consecration of the Holy Gifts, Vladyka ordained to the deaconate, Subdeacon Paul Siewers, from the ROCOR mission of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.  Fr. Deacon Paul then remained in the monastery for two weeks to practice, serving every day with the monastery clergy.

Fr. Paul is a convert to Holy Orthodoxy, coming from Chicago, where he formerly worked as a reporter.  He presently is an associate professor of English at Bucknell University , where he specializes in Christian literature and is also faculty adviser to the campus Orthodox student group.  Fr. Paul is thus well placed for missionary work, and we pray that God will give him the strength to fulfill his new Church obedience.