Every mission begins with someone saying yes before there is anything to show for it. Recently, we saw what that looks like.
Elena Drach, parish administrator at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Cincinnati, our mother parish, reached out to her home parish, St. Stephen’s Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia*, on behalf of our Northern Kentucky Orthodox chapel. The result was a remarkable gift: a holy altar table, a table of oblation, icons for our iconostasis, and a set of gold table covers. All of it was loaded into a truck and driven west to us. (The cargo van that was reserved turned out to be a 12-foot truck. We’re choosing to read that as a sign of abundance.)
Tables with a story
Our altar table and table of oblation began their life at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. That cathedral closed permanently on September 17, 2024 because of structural deterioration. Holy Resurrection gave the tables to St. Stephen’s, which planned to use them in its own chapel once it was renovated. In the end, St. Stephen’s decided to keep the tables it already had, and it hoped to find these a good home. We are humbled and grateful to be that home, and to carry forward something that served the faithful of Wilkes-Barre for so many years.
The altar table is ready to serve. The table of oblation will need some care first, including a fresh sanding and staining, and it will follow once that work is done.
Icons and cloths from St. Stephen’s chapel
The icons for our iconostasis previously hung in the chapel at St. Stephen’s, and so did the gold table covers. The icons include the Mother of God holding the Christ Child, St. Michael the Archangel, St. George, St. Nicholas, and a Mystical Supper icon that will remind us, every time we gather, whose table this really is. These icons have already been prayed before, and they will go on being prayed before in a new place.
For a small chapel that is praying toward becoming a mission, and in God’s time a full parish, these gifts give us a place to stand.
With gratitude
To Father Victor Gorodenchuk, Dean of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and the people of St. Stephen’s: thank you for blessing this gift. You hoped these tables would find a good home, and we pray we will honor that hope in the years ahead.
To Elena Drach: thank you for the time and care you put into gathering and delivering all of this. You generously gave your time and coordination to make this happen.
To Christ the Savior – Holy Spirit Orthodox Church and Fr. Steven Kostoff: thank you for your continued guidance and care for this chapel. It is a joy to look ahead to the day when these tables and icons are in use under your pastoral care.
To our friends and supporters: if you’ve committed yourselves to this mission, this is progress you helped make possible. Every step so far has been carried by prayer and by the kindness of others. We will keep you updated as the work continues.
For the years ahead
Someday, when this chapel is a thriving parish, we want to remember where it started: with a truck bigger than expected, a gifted altar, and a community that gave freely. May God remember all who gave, and may these tables and icons serve Him for generations.
*St. Stephen’s Orthodox Cathedral, 8598 Verree Road, Philadelphia, PA 19111
