Centennial Year Church Events
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November 13, 2005 - After Divine Liturgy Concelebrated by His Beatitude HERMAN, Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Held Her Centennial Anniversary Banquet at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, N.J., on the afternoon of November 13, 2005. This day was the second day of the weekend which marked the culmination of our Centennial Year Anniversary. The following photoreport - comprised of two pages - details the reception, banquet, and dancing which comprised the afternoon, brought to an end our Centennial Year, and marked the beginning of our second century of service and worship for Orthodox Christians in Central New Jersey. The report is divided into three general areas - the venue and opening of the banquet; photos of guests seated at tables, and yes, the dancing! Your normally staid reporter keeps the wordage to a minimum in this report and instead shows as many photos as possible of parishioners enjoying themselves as our Church enters her second century.
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Above, the table in the lobby where guests' place cards were positioned. As one can see, there were far more flower petals on the table than unclaimed place cards. Below is a block of four photos of parishioners and guests in fellowship before the dinner proper.
Above left, Carol Deerson was Chairwoman for the Gala Anniversary Banquet. She poses alongside one of the nicely-set tables while the guests were yet socializing in the lobby.
Above and below - the head table, as yet unoccupied.
You may click on the photo above left to view an enlargement.
Above left, dignitaries occupied the head table at the beginning of the banquet. Above right, Carol Deerson welcomed all to the banquet. Metropolitan HERMAN is seated to Carol's left.
In photos above, the guests sang The Star-Spangled Banner. Below left, Metropolitan HERMAN leads those assembled in prayer before the meal. Below right, parishioner Michael Steffaro addresses those assembled. Mr. Steffaro, National Vice-President of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America, was that fraternal organization's representative at the dinner.
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Above left - (facing the head table) dignitaries seated at the left side of the head table were: Matushka Faith Kuharsky; Pastor Emeritus of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, V. Rev. Sergius S. Kuharsky; the Honorable Robert Szegeti, Mayor of South River, N.J.; Protopresbyter Robert S. Kondratick, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America and thus her highest ranking priest; and Mr. Michael Steffaro, FOCA National Vice-President. Above right - (facing the head table) dignitaries seated at the right side of the head table were: His Beatitude, the Most-Blessed HERMAN, Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada; Mr. James P. Kornafel, Church President (Starosta) of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church; Rev. David F. Garretson, Rector of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church; Matushka Shari Garretson; and V. Rev. Joseph Lickwar, Dean of the New York/New Jersey Deanery of the Diocese of Washington and New York of the Orthodox Church in America. Most of the dignitaries at the head table later spoke to the guests. In general, they were reflective and sentimental regarding our Church's past 100 years, thankful for the faithfulness and diligence of those parishioners who currently comprise the body of our Church, and optimistic - by God's grace and blessing - regarding the next 100 years.
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Above left, Starosta Kornafel visits the young adult's table. Above right, Rev. David Garretson visits with parishioners. Below left are Centennial Anniversary Co-Chairwomen, Sandra Saurman (left) and Rebecca Kozak, shown with their husbands, John and Basil, respectively. Below right - a photo within a photo - Kathy Kornafel takes a photo of her brother James who is seated next to Metropolitan HERMAN at the head table.
Above left, the Garretsons overlook the right side of the banquet hall. Above right, James Kornafel and Metropolitan HERMAN share the same vantage point. Below are several photos which give an overview of the banquet.
Above and below (and continued on page two of this photoreport), photos showing as many of the guests at the banquet by table as was possible. Your reporter offers apologies in advance for the several tables which were inadvertantly overlooked and were thus not included in this report. Apologies in advance as well for the several individuals whose faces were inadvertantly obscured in the table shots.
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Copyright © 2005, Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, South River, NJ
