A longtime priest in the Nesquehoning and Lansford areas is saying farewell as he and his wife move across the state after being reassigned.

Father Robert Teklinski, who has served as pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Nesquehoning and St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Lansford, will end his 22 years in the area at 12 a.m. Monday.

He and his wife, Peggy, have been reassigned to St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in East Pittsburgh.

Teklinski said that the reassignment is “bittersweet.”

“I know we’re going to miss a lot of people here,” he said. “This became our home.”

He added that this reassignment will allow him to take care of his health because two parishes was becoming too much for him.

The couple is happy that they will get to reconnect with family, who still lives in the Pittsburgh area, where they were originally from, but are sad to leave the family they had created in the area.

“I’m sad about leaving here and leaving St. Nicholas as well,” he said. “Both parishes treated us well and were full of kindness. But I’m going to look forward to the challenge of a new parish.

“I didn’t plan on starting over at this stage of life, but we’ll make it go. And I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my brother and his family, my sister and late sister’s family and all my cousins.”

“It’s going to be neat to see my sister, my nieces and nephews because I haven’t seen them since my aunt’s funeral six years ago,” Peggy added.

Over the last 22 years, the Teklinskis helped the church in many endeavors, with Peggy bringing in a basket raffle that has grown exponentially over the years; and Father helping to get an iconostas, or screened wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary, installed in the church.

“I thought it was the biggest project for me,” he said, adding that if it wasn’t for the board that has helped move the church forward, he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as he accomplished.

“I served under four excellent presidents (of the church board) and my biggest, I guess, the most enjoyable time was making pirohi, especially with the ladies who are now deceased. There are just a slew of wonderful people in this church, too many to name,” Teklinski said.

Other highlights during his time here were baptizing children, marrying couples and grieving with parishioners as loved ones are laid to rest, but knowing those people had lived well and would be going to heaven. He also was happy to participate in the annual 9/11 services started by various churches and organizations.

“I think bringing converts into the church was also a big part of my ministry that I loved too,” he added. “I love to be able to still continue to teach, maybe not U.S. history and civics, but the faith that I exposed people to.”

Teklinski was assigned to St. John the Baptist in Nesquehoning on Aug. 2, 2001. The parish served as his first official assignment after being ordained a year earlier. Prior to that, he had served as a social studies and civics teacher at Laurel School District in Lawrence County.

It was through God’s divine work, and his bishop after converting to Orthodox, that led Teklinski to follow his dream and become an Orthodox priest.

Since then, he and Peggy have enjoyed the wonderful friendships that they have created.

When asked about the move, Peggy said that one thing she is looking forward to is attending a Pittsburgh Pirates game since they are both fans.

To honor the couple, the two parishes will hold a farewell event in the church hall at St. John the Baptist from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday. Parishioners and the community are invited.

“I thought the whole experience here with the community was great,” Teklinski said. “We have a lot of friends who weren’t parishioners here and I will miss them equally as much as I miss our parishioners. We were blessed with a lot of good friends and people who took us in and were family to us when we didn’t have any blood family here. I’m always grateful for that.”