The Primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church celebrated a Divine Liturgy in the United States

On August 24, 2025, Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The service was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the consecration of the first church of this community, one of the oldest in the North American diaspora. This was reported by the news portal of the Macedonian Church.

Metropolitan Methodios of America and Canada was present at the liturgy. After the service, the archbishop presented him with a cross and a panagia in honor of the 20th anniversary of his episcopal ministry.

After the liturgy, a memorial service was held for the deceased clergy and founders of the parish. The anniversary celebrations will continue on Thursday, the feast day, when Archbishop Stephen will again lead the Divine Liturgy.

The visit of the Primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church to North America began on August 21 and is timed to coincide with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the churches in Columbus (Ohio, USA) and Toronto (Canada). During the trip, the archbishop will visit parishes in Ohio and New Jersey, and will also lead services in the Canadian capital.

A special event will be a joint liturgy on September 2 in Washington with the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Tikhon, on the occasion of the recent recognition by the American Church of the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

On August 3, 2025, the hierarchs of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the history of their joint relations. The act of communion between the bishops of the two Churches took place at the Monastery of St. Leontius and the Protection of the Holy Mother of God in Vodoch. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church was represented by Metropolitan Filaret of Lviv and Galicia.