On November 21/December 4, the Orthodox Church prayerfully commemorates the great feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. According to Church Tradition, her righteous parents Joachim and Anna led their three-year-old daughter Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem, where the holy High Priest Zechariah led the Virgin Mary into the Holy of Holies. This event became the foreshadowing and "preaching" of the special great mission and role that the Mother of God would play in the future.

The evening prior, on Tuesday, the All-Night Vigil with the litia and anointing with oil was served in Our Lady of Pochaev Church in North Port, FL. A multitude of parishioners gathered for the service, including many children, as this radiant feast reminds us of the importance of the "entry" into the temple, the acquaintance with Church life, and the spiritual rearing of our youngest parishioners. Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk) and Deacon Alexander Kharitoniuk served Vigil.

Celebrating Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning was parish rector Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk), co-served by Fr. Alexander. Fr. Arkadii and Hierodeacon Paisius (Alexeevets) sang on kliros. Despite its being a workday, a large number of parishioners was in attendance. A multitude of beautiful flowers was brought as a gift for the Theotokos in honor of the feast, out of with Fr. Arkadii and Matushka Melania Kharitoniuk fashioned gorgeous bouquets. But the most important gift was the joint prayer offered up at Liturgy.

After the service, Fr. Stefan greeted all with the feast and wished for each person to preserve in purity the temple of his soul, sanctifying it for God and cleansing it through the sacrament of repentance.

After the service, the traditional luncheon was held.