SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Orthodox Church in America Diocese of New England welcomed the highest-ranking official in the Church for an Ordination ceremony Saturday.

St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church in Springfield hosted the ceremony featuring “His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon.” He serves as the first bishop of the Orthodox Church in America, which includes 700 parishes in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The purpose of his visit was to ordain Proto-Deacon Zachary Wasuta to the Holy Priesthood so he may serve as priest to his church, the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Berlin, New Hampshire.

Priests, deacons and several other representatives from the Diocese of New England were in attendance Saturday for the ceremony steeped in religious tradition.