Gathering on the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the St. Sava Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio, despite an overcast and rainy day, a truly resplendent Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Irinej of Eastern America. Numerous clergy from throughout the Diocese joined in the concelebration. It was especially pleasing to see six of the deacons in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Deaneries assisting at the Holy Liturgy. The Njegos Choir of the St. Sava Cathedral splendidly rendered the responses to the sacred service, uplifting the many who were prayerfully present.

During the Divine Liturgy, His Grace ordained Reader Njegos Perkovic, Diocesan Archivist, to the order of the Diaconate. The gathered faithful, joined by his extended family that came from Ontario and Wisconsin to participate in the joyful ordination, exuberantly responded to the vesting and presentation of the new Deacon with acclamations of Axios, Dostojan, Worthy!