On September 20, Alexander Molodin and Andrei Malyshev visited St. Vladimir Orthodox Church in the Ann Arbor area of Michigan. The parish, located along the Detroit–Chicago corridor, has experienced substantial growth in recent years, and its existing church building can no longer comfortably accommodate the congregation.
The scale of the problem was particularly evident during the Sunday Divine Liturgy. More than 300 worshippers were present that morning, and according to longtime parishioners, such attendance has become typical for Sundays. The church itself was filled to capacity. Many people stood in the narthex, which also quickly became crowded, while others remained outside. Despite the heavy rain that morning, parishioners continued to gather around the entrance because there was simply no more room inside.
Recognizing the need for a larger church, Archpriest Gregory Joyce, Rector of St. Vladimir Parish, and the parish community began preparing for a new building several years ago. The project has since advanced through planning and engineering, and in June 2026 the Lima Township Planning Commission granted preliminary site-plan and special-use approvals.
A major milestone was reached during the first visit of His Grace Bishop Spyridon of Chicago and Mid-America to the parish at the end of August. Following the Divine Liturgy on August 30, clergy and parishioners processed from the existing church to the site of the future building, approximately 200 yards to the north. After a Moleben Before Every Good Work, Bishop Spyridon formally broke ground for the new church and blessed its approximately 75-by-75-foot footprint with holy water.
On September 20, Molodin and Malyshev met with Fr. Gregory to discuss the parish’s current situation and the challenges associated with financing a project of this scale. During the conversation, they introduced the work of the Apsida Foundation, a nonprofit initiative intended to help Orthodox parishes organize fundraising for construction, restoration, and other infrastructure projects. Fr. Gregory expressed strong interest in the initiative and asked that detailed information about the Foundation be provided so that its possibilities could be reviewed with the Parish Council as the parish considers the next stages of its fundraising campaign.
Fundraising is already an important part of parish life at St. Vladimir’s. The visit coincided with the annual Ann Arbor Russian Orthodox Festival, held on September 19–20 on the parish grounds. The festival brings thousands of visitors to the church each year; parish festival materials state that attendance has typically reached at least 5,000 people over the two-day event. In addition to serving as a major community gathering, events of this kind help introduce the parish and its future building project to a much wider public.
The meeting concluded with Fr. Gregory thanking Alexander Molodin and Andrei Malyshev for visiting the parish and seeing firsthand the conditions in which the community now worships. He expressed hope for productive cooperation as the new church project moves forward and invited the visitors to remain for the festival, which was beginning on the parish grounds during the meeting.
