On Sunday October 21, the Parish of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God in Dover Florida was fortunate to be visited by His Grace Bishop Daniel, President-elect of the Consistory, within one week of its feast day.  It was a beautiful day with moderate temperatures and a blue, sunny sky.  In honor of the parish’s feast day and the Bishop’s visit, the icon we call “our Lady of Dover”--several hundred years old and reputed to be miraculous--was set out on the tetrapod.  This is normally only set out on the parish feast day itself but was left out in honor of His Grace’s visit. 

The Liturgy was a peaceful one, with His Grace being accompanied by Fr. Harry, the pastor of the parish.  Seminarian and Subdeacon Vasyl Pasakas, together with Subdeacon John Juhasz and Michael Gursky, who is undergoing the Deaconate program of St. Stephen’s, were there to assist along with Harry Linsinbigler IV and Joshua Delp.   Also contributing to the good work of the Liturgy were sacristan Tim Peargin, Handmaidens Alexandra Zaroff and Alexis Mary Linsinbigler, Choir members Pani Matka Carrie, Randy Crump, Nancy Collins, and Elisabeth Linsinbigler, and all the faithful of the parish, who together entreated the Lord God in the prayerful dialogue with the Lord that is the Divine Liturgy.  His Grace also prayed for the newly departed servant of God Vera Korsun, mother of Angie Korsun. 

In his sermon the bishop reflected on the ministry of the parish family during the last 25 years of preaching the Word of God and sharing the loving ministry of presence with the residents of Dover, FL – and the surrounding Driscoll’s strawberry farm plantations. Bishop Daniel called upon the membership of the congregation to live out the Words of our Lord – “…you are the salt of the world…” In conclusion, the bishop greeted Fr. Harry, the pastor of the parish family on his 10th year of pastoral leadership.

After Divine Liturgy, Michael Gursky greeted Bishop Daniel at the door of the hall with bread and salt, thanking him for being here with us in the sacred Liturgy and asking him to come and bless the meal that was prepared.  Prepared for His Grace and all the parish was a delicious dinner with ham, rice pilaf, soup, salad, and many other delicious things to eat.  This was all going on in the same 24-hour period that His Eminence Metropolitab-elect Antony with the pilgrims from the UOC of the USA were attending the Liturgy in the Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Sinai.  The Lord graced us all richly on this day.