Parishioners at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Nesquehoning had a lot to celebrate on Sunday morning.

First and foremost, the parish celebrated its 90th anniversary.

“The community has come together and worked really hard to make this a special day,” the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Joseph Fester said. “We are blessed to have our District Dean, Father Jeff Zias with us today; and Protodeacon Emil Gulick from Hawk Run is with us today, so it should be a beautiful day.”

The priests led the parish in celebrating Divine Liturgy in honor of the anniversary. Another blessing for the parish was the entrance of catechumen Scott “Matthias” Zoscin as a new parishioner. Zoscin in a senior at Loch Haven University, and plans to go into teaching after graduating.

The church also blessed the newly-restored stained-glass windows.

“We replaced all the windows,” Nancy Kerestus, president of the Board of Trustees of St. John the Baptist, explained. “The windows were missing bits and pieces, and they really need to be repaired.”

Fester also dedicated a new icon of St. John the Baptist that was painted above the front doors on the outside of the church.

Church Parishioner John Troychock was the first person baptized in the new church in 1935, and was at the 90th anniversary Liturgy.

“I was born the 16th of July (1935), and baptized the 23rd of July,” Troychock shared.

St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church was formed in 1935 after meeting and deciding to separate from the Greek Catholic Eastern Rite of Nesquehoning and the Greek Catholic Church of America. The meeting was held at the Sokol Citizen’s Club in Nesquehoning. The people chose to name the parish St. John the Baptist American-Russian Orthodox parish.

The finalization of the parish was held at the Ferko’s Hall on West Catawissa Street, at which time Rev. Father Michael Sotak was named the first Pastor of the newly-formed church. Divine Liturgy and other sacraments were held at Ferko’s Hall until the church purchased the property on West Railroad Street later in 1935.

An architect was hired in 1935, and the new church was built. The cornerstone was dedicated on Nov. 11, 1935. The bells were purchased from the McClure Bell Company of Baltimore and were donated by the Sokol Citizen’s Club of Nesquehoning.

St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church has approximately 70 parishioners, and has seen growth in the parish lately.

“We have a young man being received into the church today,” Father Fester shared. “We’ve had several inquirers, we have some people looking to return to the church after an absence. Things are hopping.”

St John gets a lot of support from the community.

“The community supports us, we support them,” Kerestus said. “The mayor is a dear friend of ours, some council members, too. The borough has been good to us, and we do whatever we can do for them.”

Following the Divine Liturgy, priests and parishioners held a luncheon at Macaluso’s on Route 209, Nesquehoning.