McLean, Virginia — September 26, 2026

The Archdiocese of Washington held its Annual Assembly on Saturday, September 26, at Saint Luke Orthodox Church in McLean, Virginia. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, presided with participation from clergy and lay delegates from the parishes and missions of the Archdiocese.

The day began with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Saint Luke's recently consecrated temple. The Archdiocesan Choir sang the responses, and the departed of our parishes from the past year were commemorated. Brunch followed in the parish hall. His Beatitude thanked Archpriest John Vitko, the parish leadership and the Saint Luke community for their generous hospitality.

After the opening prayer, the Assembly elected Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino and Jane Cessna as clergy and lay vice-chairs. Metropolitan Tikhon then gave his annual address. He spoke about the continuing integration of the Archdiocese's three-deanery structure, the revision of the Archdiocesan bylaws, the work of the chancery, and the 2027 budget. His address ended with a brief reflection on how Orthodox Christians might approach the growing debate about artificial intelligence, including a reminder of the "ancient technologies" of prayer, reading and song.

The Assembly then received reports from:

the Chancellor, Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino
the Dean, Archpriest Gregory Safchuk
the Treasurer, Fr. Nicholas Roth
the Auditing Committee
the Distinguished Diocesan Benefactors
the Archdiocese's representatives to the Metropolitan Council
Delegates elected Matushka Ann Prentice, Dee Young and Deacon John Jubinski as auditors for a three-year term.

The Assembly unanimously approved the 2027 budget, which includes new support for the Archdiocese's first seminarian in many years, for clergy health through the Office of Pastoral Life, and for Archdiocesan clergy retreats. Delegates amended the budget to add a $500 contribution to FOCUS DMV, after Archpriest John Vitko reported on its work. FOCUS DMV is a new local ministry of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve (FOCUS North America) looking to serve individuals and families in the Washington metropolitan area who face food and housing insecurity. It is now working to open a community center offering breakfast, food and clothing distribution, and a place of welcome and connection.

The Assembly also set dates for next year's meetings. The 2027 Assembly will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2027, at a location to be announced. The Assembly closed with prayer at 1:00 pm.

Assembly documents and parish reports

Metropolitan Tikhon's address, all officer and committee reports, and the 2027 budget are now available below. That section also has the annual reports of each parish and mission. They describe the ministries, outreach, challenges and upcoming celebrations of our communities, and everyone in the Archdiocese is encouraged to read them to learn more about the life of our sister parishes.