Diocesan Life
Fall 2018
Carol Wetmore, 50 Years as Choir Director in Randolph, NJ On Sunday, May 6, 2018 at Holy Trinity Church in Randolph, NJ, His Eminence, Archbishop Michael presented choir director Carol Wetmore with the St. Romanos Medal, one of only three awarded this year by the Holy Synod of Bishops for outstanding contributions to Orthodox liturgical music. Following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy the parish hosted a banquet to celebrate Carol’s 50 years of devotion to the choir and her central place in building up the life of the community. Fr David Fox unveiled the architectural drawings for a new bell tower being built in her honor. Archbishop Michael and many others spoke warmly about Carol’s dedication to the parish, the Diocese and Orthodox Church in America. Within the Diocese she serves as co-chair of the Commission on Liturgical Music, and has personally organized many music workshops to improve the musical skills of both singers and choir directors. Fr. John Jillions, the Chancellor of the OCA, was one of the many singers over the years who was welcomed into the choir. He was 16 when he moved to Randolph with his family, and Carol warmly drew him and his sisters into the choir. He noted Carol’s valuable consultation work for the OCA as a Human Resources specialist. Later Carol took up a career as a social worker, providing hospice counseling for patients and families.
May God grant Carol many blessed years of continued singing and directing.
On the Retirement of Fr. Steven Belonick; continued from page 29 be. I felt at home. I felt at peace. It was good for me to be there. Only God knows how much love we have in our hearts for Him and how hard we have struggled and worked to develop a deeper relationship with Him. Only God will judge how much we have ministered in His name. If an indication of this love happens to be how much we are loved by others, then a measure
of Fr. Steven’s ministry as a priest has been the love of Christ that he has channeled to every parish and place he has ever served and the vast amount of love with which he in turn is loved by those whom he has served. Truly we have been blessed to have him in our presence and the Church is much better for it.
Gift and Grace: The Spiritual Legacy of Orthodox Christians in America https://www.nynjoca.org/interviews.html Audio and Video Interviews With:
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Fr. Sergei Glagolev • Fr. Thomas and Anne Hopko • Fr. Daniel and Dunia Hubiak Fr. Sergius and Faith Kuharsky • Fr. John and Eugenia Nehrebecki • Fr. Paul and Mary Shafran Fr. Stephen Siniari • Dr. Constantine and Arlene Kallaur • Dr. Albert Rossi
