101 years ago – on October 26, 1921, the St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine witnessed a consecration to episcopacy of Bishop Ioan Theodorovich, who in 1924 became the first metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.

On October 26, 2022 – His Eminence Metropolitan Antony and Archbishop Daniel, surrounded by the clergy, seminarians and the staff members of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA gathered at the gravesite of Metropolitan John of blessed memory, at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery of the Spiritual Center of the Church (South Bound Brook/Somerset, NJ) for a memorial service, honoring the life and ministry of the first bishop of the Church on a North American continent.

In their reflections about the spiritual legacy of Metropolitan John, both hierarchs of the UOC of the USA – Metropolitan Antony and Archbishop Daniel, spoke of the significance of knowing and honoring our Church’s history and legacy of our spiritual fathers, who navigated through challenging decades, keeping the flame of Ukrainian Orthodoxy lit in the United States of America and truly throughout the world, especially during the times of Soviet persecution.

Seminarians of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary prayerfully chanted the responses of the Memorial service, thus witnessing and learning about the importance of honoring the spiritual fatherhood of the Church and the input that our predecessors made in the formation of the early years of Church’s ministry.