The town of Ambridge, Pennsylvania - founded along the banks of the Ohio River as a hub of industry and immigrant life - was once filled with the sounds of steel mills and bustling factories. But on the weekend of September 13–14, 2025, the historic streets of Ambridge echoed with a different sound: the joyful peal of church bells announcing the Centennial celebration of Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This sacred parish community, rooted in faith, sacrifice, and love, gathered under the spiritual leadership of its pastor, the Very Reverend Father Michael Kochis, to mark 100 years of prayerful witness.

From its founding by Ukrainian immigrants who longed to preserve the faith of their ancestors, to the present day where generations of faithful still gather, Saint Vladimir’s has been more than a building - it has been a spiritual home, a school of prayer, and a beacon of hope.

In honor of this historic anniversary, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA - His Eminence Metropolitan Antony and His Eminence Archbishop Daniel - departed from the spiritual center of the Church in South Bound Brook, New Jersey, and traveled to the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to lead the faithful in thanksgiving. They were joined by clergy, seminarians of St. Sophia Seminary, and faithful from near and far.

On Saturday evening, Father Michael and Protodeacon Pavlo Vysotskyi led the Great Vespers, prayerfully preparing the community for the feast. Metropolitan Antony, recalling his own pastoral beginnings in Ambridge fifty years ago, spoke movingly of how the Centennial was not just a measure of years, but of faith carried through generations. Parishioners and guests gathered afterward for fellowship in the parish hall, embracing each other with gratitude and joy.

As Sunday dawned, the streets of Ambridge once again welcomed the sound of Saint Vladimir’s bells. With hearts uplifted, the faithful greeted their hierarchs at the doors of the temple. Parish Board President David Finch, representing the parish family, welcomed the hierarchs with the traditional gifts of bread and salt - symbols of hospitality, blessing, and the richness of God’s grace. Father Michael then presented the hand cross for a blessing, uniting the moment with centuries of Orthodox tradition.

Inside the temple, the voices of clergy and faithful rose in prayer as Subdeacon Pavlo Vysotskyi chanted the entrance prayers. Two beloved sons of the parish, Anthony Testa and Gary Kmit, were set aside for service as readers, receiving from Archbishop Daniel words of encouragement: “You are called to proclaim the beauty of Christ’s holy word. Guard your hearts, serve faithfully, and let your voices lead others to prayer.” Metropolitan Antony, reflecting on their ordination, urged them to be students of the Scriptures, so that their lives may become living proclamations of God’s truth.

The Divine Liturgy unfolded as a radiant act of communal worship. The entire congregation lifted its voice in prayer, with responses chanted in unison, echoing the devotion of the parish’s founders a century ago. At the Little Entrance, Metropolitan Antony paused to honor Father Michael for his thirty years of devoted pastoral service, awarding him a jeweled cross, bestowed by Archbishop Daniel with the exclamation “Axios!”-“Worthy!” The faithful, with tears and joy, echoed the cry three times.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Antony spoke with paternal warmth, weaving together the parish’s past, present, and future. He recalled baptisms, weddings, funerals, and countless prayers offered in the very temple where he once served as a young pastor. He called the faithful to live with love, hope, forgiveness, and kindness - the eternal virtues that sustained the forefathers and mothers who first built the parish, and the virtues that will carry it forward for another hundred years.

Archbishop Daniel added his reflections, remembering his own journey of faith as a young man in Ukraine, and expressing gratitude to the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in America who preserved the “torch of faith” through decades of struggle. He urged the parish to remain a witness of Christ’s mercy and love to future generations.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Antony and Archbishop Daniel called forward David Finch, Parish Board President. With gratitude, they presented him with a certificate of appreciation from the Council of Bishops, recognizing his wise leadership and tireless devotion: “You have carried the weight of responsibility not as a burden, but as a sacred calling,” read the citation. The faithful rose in song, chanting “God grant you many years!” in heartfelt gratitude.

Newly ordained Readers Anthony and Gary also received their certificates of ordination, with the congregation once more responding with the same joyous hymn, affirming their place in the parish’s unfolding story.

The Centennial festivities concluded with a banquet in the parish hall, where clergy, hierarchs, and faithful shared stories, laughter, and heartfelt reflections. Father Michael and Archbishop Daniel spoke of the enduring mission of Saint Vladimir’s: not merely to preserve the past, but to embody Christ’s Gospel in the present and to inspire future generations. The sacrifices of the past century - of immigrants who worked in mills, mothers who taught their children prayers, and pastors who served with love - were celebrated as seeds of the parish’s continuing life.

Archbishop Daniel’s closing words reminded all that the legacy of Saint Vladimir’s is alive not only in stone walls or golden domes, but in the faith of its people: “This Centennial is not the end of a journey, but the beginning of another. May the next hundred years shine with the same love, hope, and faith that brought your ancestors here, and may your parish always remain a beacon of Christ’s light in Ambridge and beyond.”

One hundred years of faith, prayer, and sacrifice culminated in a weekend of joy, thanksgiving, and renewal. Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, stands as a living witness: to the perseverance of immigrants, to the love of Christ uniting generations, and to the hope of salvation that calls every believer forward. As the church bells of Ambridge continue to ring, they echo the voices of those who built, sacrificed, prayed, and believed - inviting all to carry the torch of faith into the next century.