On August 30, 2026—the 13th Sunday after Pentecost and afterfeast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos—Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Nicholas Church in Bayonne, NJ.
At the church entrance, the hierarch was warmly welcomed by Sunday school students and members of the parish committee. Concelebrating with the Bishop were the rector of the church and Dean of the Eastern States, Archpriest Mikhail Kapchits; parish cleric Priest Dimitry Sukhorukov; and clerics of the deanery, Protodeacon Serge Kerko and Deacon Vasily Carr.
After Holy Communion, the hierarch, clergy, and faithful served a short moleben to the Most Holy Theotokos.
At the conclusion of the service, the rector, Fr. Mikhail Kapchits, warmly greeted the hierarch. Bishop Matthew addressed the congregation with a sermon based on the day’s Gospel reading and congratulated everyone on the ongoing celebration of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Bishop Matthew gratefully acknowledged the steadfast, prayerful singing of the St. Nicholas Church choir under the direction of Matushka Ekaterina Kapchits. "The organization of liturgical services in accordance with the Church Typikon, the close-knit parish community, and the activities of the Sunday school—all matters to which Father Mikhail, the Dean of the Eastern States parishes, tirelessly devotes himself—serve as a wonderful example for the clergy and parish workers of the entire district," the hierarch remarked. The fellowship among the hierarch, the clergy, and the parishioners continued over a fraternal meal, following which Bishop Matthew and Archpriest Mikhail discussed current matters regarding the life of the parishes in the Eastern States Deanery.
