Bishop Thomas' Visit 2006

BISHOP THOMAS’ VISIT TO WILKES-BARRE                 May 26-29, 2006

Over the Memorial Day weekend Bishop Thomas made his annual visit to St. Mary in Wilkes-Barre.  Since Sayidna’s air trip from Johnstown Airport to Wilkes-Barre Airport was cancelled that Friday morning, Sayidna had to drive to Wilkes-Barre.  When he arrived he made a call to meet him at his family’s restaurant, Abe’s Hot Dogs on Main Street.  Sayidna was found seated at a table finishing his  favorite Abe’s lunch.  On that Friday evening Sayidna had dinner with 60 of the parishioners who welcomed him with open arms and were truly glad to have him back in our midst.  On Saturday morning he visited his great aunt who is in a local nursing home. His Aunt Sally was very honored to have her nephew, the bishop, come to see her.

On Saturday afternoon, Sayidna, along with Father David and Anne Hester, went to St. Tikhon’s graduation ceremony to see one of the Antiochian Seminary students, Father Christopher Morris, graduate with Distinction.   Both Sayidna and Father David, who teaches Patrictics and Church History as an adjunct Associate Professor at St. Tikhon’s, were in the academic procession.  After the ceremony Sayidna posed for a picture with  all the Antiochian students who study at St. Tikhon’s Seminary.

On Saturday evening Sayidna presided over Great Vespers which were chanted by the Antiochian Seminary Students of St. Tikhon’s assigned to St. Mary, along with the parish chanters.  After Great Vespers, Sayidna had dinner at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre with the members of the Order of St. Ignatius and the members of the Parish Council.

On Sunday Morning Sayidna Thomas presided over Orthros and then served the Divine Liturgy for a crowded church.  During his homily, Sayidna thanked the parishioners for their welcome and for all their hard work for the church.  He then reminded them of the importance of being a welcoming community and spoke of the day when people would be moving into this area and the importance of our willingness to accept new people into our Antiochian Orthodox Church community.  After the Liturgy, the parish Spaghetti Workers prepared a breakfast for all to share with the Bishop—it wasn’t spaghetti.  The Bishop then met with the children and teens of St. Mary in the Church Temple, where there had a question and answer session with the bishop.  A number of the children were very pleased as they learned that they were cousins to the bishop.

On Sunday evening, Sayidna’s aunt and uncle, Mike and Sarah Cross, invited Sayinda to their home for a Kibbee dinner with all kinds of good Middle Eastern foods.  Along with Father David and Khouriyee Anne, Sayidna’s cousin Phyllis, his aunt and godmother Rosemarie Kresge and her husband, and Sayidna’s Uncle Sam and his wife were also present.

On Memorial Day Sayidna presided over the Memorial Day ceremonies in St. Mary’s Orthodox Cemetery.  This gave Sayidna an opportunity to visit the graves of his grand parents and great grand parents, along with the graves of Father Michael and Khouriyee Sarah Simon, who besides being related to Sayidna, were also very influential in his life and served as great examples of ministry to him.  In addition to the Trisagion for all the reposed, there was also a civil ceremony with a flag lowering, Taps, a Memorial Bell ringing, and a rifle salute.  Following the service, there was a luncheon in the Church Hall where everyone again had the opportunity to visit with Sayidna.

This was a very special weekend for all the people of St. Mary.  The clergy and people were very pleased to have Sayinda Thomas with them again and were much affirmed by his many encouraging words to them.