The Great Feast of Annunciation was celebrated today at Holy Trinity Church. The mood was festive (as it should be for Feast Days), our church was full and Christian joy was felt throughout our parish community.

Eddie Ryan, a senior biomedical engineering major at the University of Connecticut, was received into the Orthodox Church, surrounded by several members from the UConn Orthodox Christian Fellowship and many UConn OCF alumni. Eddie has been a stalwart at our church during his years on the Storrs campus and desired to receive the Sacrament of Chrismation prior to his upcoming May 2012 graduation at the church where he was first introduced to Orthodoxy nearly four years ago. Eddie has been extremely consistent with his participation at Holy Trinity and has sung in the choir each week he is in church. On occasion, he has even directed the choir. Eddie is an Eagle Scout and has addressed our community on the Christian characteristics that he has learned through his participation with the Boy Scouts of America, and how they have contributed to the development of his spiritual life.

Eddie Ryan has been a great blessing to the Holy Trinity Community. May he become a vessel of the Holy Spirit. May he find Christ and peace in the Orthodox Church.

Current OCF members who surrounded Eddie included Natasha "Tashie" Leva, and Solomon Yniguez. OCF alumni who also prayed for their former classmate included Mike Andrzejewski, Christopher Adams, Samantha Rovers, Will Kopcha, Rachel Kopcha, (Reader) Rob Giokas, Greg Matzkevich and Deacon Andrey Sukharev.

Deacon Andrey also assisted with serving the Divine Liturgy. He was joined by his parents, Viktor and Paraskeva, who live in Moscow, Russia, and have been quite charitable to Holy Trinity over the years. Deacon Andrey currently lives in the Boston area, and is attached to Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Allston, Mass.

Eddie's parents, Ed and Maria, traveled from their Middlebury, Conn. home to celebrate with their son. Other family members in attendance were Eddie's Godmother and Sponsor, Alexandra Zouncourides-Lull, her husband, Jack, and their two children, Philip, 6, and Anna, 5. The Lull's live in Boston, Mass.

A Lenten luncheon was held downstairs after Divine Liturgy. Many stayed into the early afternoon to be with Eddie.

Click:  Eddie Ryan Chrismation Booklet to download a copy electronically