At both khramove svyata in 2024 awards were presented during the Divine Liturgy after the third antiphon and before the small entrance (“O come let us worship…”)

Fr. Deacon Konstyantin Yastreb & Reader Anton Potikha

At the Chapel’s khramove svyato, Father Deacon was awarded a double orarion (stole) in recognition of his faithfulness and dedication to the Church. In the Church, there are 3 awards for deacons: (1) Double orarion, (2) Honour of the title of protodeacon and (3) the kamilavka (a type of hat worn by deacons). Многая літа, о. дияконе!

At the Great Vespers at the Cathedral on Sat. July 6, 2024 Reader Anton Potikha was tonsured a reader, the first level of ordained roles in the Church (the levels being deacon (reader, subdeacon, deacon, protodeacon), priest (priest, archpriest, mitred archpriest, protopresbyter), bishop (bishop, archbishop, metropolitan, patriarch)) and similar levels for monastics. Многая літа, читачу!

Titles & Vestments
Just as we address priests and bishops with titles, we can also address the readers as “reader + name.” In our parish we already have the 2 other tonsured readers who are now subdeacons - Franko Diakowsky (Cathedral) and Yuriy Pukas (Chapel). Similarly as the other clergy have particular vestments that they wear during liturgical services, readers also have a cassock (підрясник) that they wear which is black, long-sleeved and to the ground. The cassock is worn by all ordained members of the clergy beneath their vestments. The cassock reminds the wearer that the grace of the Holy Spirit covers him as with a garment of salvation and joy.

Read more about the Role of a Reader in the Orthodox Church.

Other awards:

At the Cathedral’s Khramove svyato on July 7, 2024, four (4) altar servers (Victor Dolzhansky, Vadim Kopylov, Dmytro Kotskikh, and Oleksii Kravchuk) were recognized for their faithful service and granted the right to wear an orarion while serving at a hierarchical service (a service at which the bishop is present) [see the right-most photo where the altar servers have crossed orarions on their backs]. 

Parish Participation:
Those who were at the Chapel heard the clergy sing “axios” (аксіос) 3x followed by the choir and faithful. This word is Greek in origin and means “worthy” as in this individual is worthy of the award or role they are being asked to accept. It is a tradition of both the Christian Church since the early Church for the community to participate in the ordination. It was not enough for the bishop to choose an individual if the faithful did not also find the individual worthy of the title. Indeed there are some (few) examples where the people said “anaxios” which is to say “they are unworthy.” We must remember that when a bishop chooses to elevate an individual to an ordained role, it is done in much prayer and examination of the individual’s life. We always hope and pray that it is done at the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (We of course know that there were times during the Soviet Union when individuals were ordained for political reasons rather than spiritual.)

Importance of the Laity

While these ordained roles are often more visible in parish life through their titles, vestments, and very visible participation in the liturgical services etc. it does NOT MEAN that they are more important than the laity (individuals who are not ordained). The laity are equal members of the Church with all levels of clergy.

Read more here about the Importance of Laity in the Church