Christ is born!
I know that we are all awaiting the opening of St. John’s Church! Every week that passes I am looking toward the following weekend to see about hold our first services, and yet the weeks are passing. So I would like to officially update you all on the status of where we are at.
The church is mostly to the point of cleaning out and doing touch-ups here and there. There is a little more work to be done in the basement fellowship space, but nothing that will take very much time. We are waiting on a few key items that are holding up our occupancy: finishing of all the doors with the hardware installed, installation of a railing on the balcony above the narthex. Really these two items are what are holding us up since they have to do with passing our fire and safety inspection. Once that is complete, God willing by the end of this coming week, we will likely be able to obtain a temporary occupancy permit allowing us to begin holding services there. We are also still missing the main lights in the nave of the church, to be delivered mid-January now, but I am being told that will not hold up our occupancy, we will just have to have only candles and a few lamps in the corners until then – but we’ve been holding candlelight services for about 20 centuries. The iconography in the apse is nearly complete as well.
Because of the scheduled fire inspection toward the end of the coming week, it is unlikely we will be able to worship in there this coming weekend of the 4th/5th. That will push us out one more week into the week of January 5th and following. As things are going I will be in communication with you all once the date of our first service becomes clear. I ask your patience with this final process. You can also expect about a week’s notice (maybe less) before our first service which is the best we will be able to project as everything is day by day.
As this project has been winding down, I have been very occupied with the final details at St. John’s. I ask your forgiveness for being a little less engaged in the daily parish life of Holy Theophany. I am very grateful for Fr. Andreas and his efforts to keep our large community going through the day-to-day.
This past Thursday, and again this morning, a few people were able to gather to clean the church and do a first phase of move in. It is really beginning to look like an Orthodox Church in there! A few photos of St John’s from this morning are attached here for your encouragement and excitement!
Wishing you all a blessed Nativity Season and a blessed New Year ahead! I am grateful for you all!
In Christ,
Fr. Anthony Machnee
