In honor of his 20th anniversary of monastic tonsure, Mark Soroka inviewed Igumen Patrick (Carpenter), rector of Holy Assumption of St. Mary Church on the Southside.

As Orthodox Christians, we are asked to deny ourselves and pick up our cross. The cross teaches us that through suffering, we learn to put our trust in Christ and follow the narrow pathway that ultimately leads to the Heavenly Kingdom of God.

For Igumen Patrick (Carpenter), pastor of Holy Assumption of St. Mary Church in Pittsburgh’s South Side, his physical struggles have not only deepened his faith, but they have also inspired others to find meaning in their own difficulties.

“The Lord grants us the cross as a way to salvation,” said Father Patrick. “And He helps us to carry our burdens when we pick up our own cross. The late Metropolitan Herman once told me not to be afraid during the dark moments in our lives: Our Lord will always be there for us. That’s a lesson that has served me well during my spiritual journey.”

Father Patrick’s spiritual journey began in Toledo, Ohio, where he grew up in a devout Irish Roman Catholic family. When he was 16, Father Patrick was given a letter that was written by his mother before her death. Mrs. Carpenter urged her son to talk to their parish priest about entering the seminary. Father Patrick was not expecting such a cynical response from that priest.

“My parish priest told me that it was all a lie and to go away,” recalls Father Patrick. “I was horrified and told my dad that I wasn’t going back to church again. I wandered around for about 18 months until I met a non-canonical Orthodox priest who told me that he was sent to talk to me. That began my journey to the fullness of Orthodoxy.”

Father Patrick eventually met Protopresbyter Venselav Dimitroff of blessed memory, rector of St. George Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral in Toledo, who taught him more about the Orthodox faith.

“Father Venselav’s English was limited so he would hold a Bulgarian manual in one hand and an English-Bulgarian dictionary in another hand to translate the content. The late Archpriest Raphael Biernacki also was instrumental in my catechism. I was blessed to be guided by priests who taught knowledge by love,” said Father Patrick.

As Father Patrick learned more about the Orthodox faith, he felt a close connection with two early saints of the Church.

“I always had special love and devotion to St. Patrick because of my Irish history,” said Father Patrick. “As I became an Orthodox Christian, I was delighted to learn that he was also an Orthodox saint. I also was inspired by St. Dismas, the good thief, because he found salvation through the power of the cross.”

Father Patrick became so immersed with the Orthodox faith that he began to consider becoming a priest. After enrolling in the Late Vocations Program at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, he began full-time studies as a seminarian in 1991.

“I have many wonderful memories of St. Tikhon’s,” recalls Father Patrick. “I paid off my tuition by working on the grounds of the monastery during the summers. That gave me an opportunity to work with the monastics and learn from them. My spiritual father at St. Tikhon’s was Metropolitan Herman of blessed memory, who was bishop of eastern Pennsylvania at the time. He taught me the importance of love, forgiveness, and mercy. He also stressed that we should hold steadfast to our faith during moments of difficulty.”

In 1996, Archbishop Kyrill of Blessed Memory ordained Father Patrick to the priesthood and assigned him to Holy Assumption of St. Mary Church. Through Father Patrick’s leadership and spiritual guidance, St. Mary’s Church has grown steadily and now includes 64 parishioners and 25 families.

St. Mary’s Church also maintains a food pantry that feeds the hungry twice a month and provides Thanksgiving meals to thousands of needy families in Pittsburgh.

“Our parishioners work together to offer community outreach to the community around us,” said Father Patrick. “We are always willing to say ‘yes’ for cries for help. It’s a blessing to be able to help so many people.”

Father Patrick added that several mentors had a profound effect on his growth as a priest.

“Both Archbishop Kyrill and the late Archmandrite Pitirim (Stehnach), who was the father confessor of our archdiocesan monks, took me under their wing and helped me to become a better priest,” said Father Patrick. “I was also fortunate to be around the giants of our faith, including Father Igor Soroka and Father Vladimir Soroka, as well as laity such as Serge Daniels. The wisdom they imparted on me will last a lifetime.”

Like many other parishes around the archdiocese, St. Mary’s Church faced difficult challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through America.

“COVID was a demonic attack on the world—there’s no other way to put it,” said Father Patrick. “People were afraid of going out and that affected attendance at our services. Not only that, but we also had to deal with uncomfortable rules and regulations. But despite those challenges, God used this crisis for His glory. Sixteen new people came into our church since then, and they are now living in the Orthodox faith.”

It was during the early days of the COVID pandemic that Father Patrick faced perhaps the most challenging period of his life. In 2021, he developed a life-threatening infection in his right leg. Father Patrick’s leg was amputated below the knee to save his life. Then a year later, another infection began to weaken and damage the talus bone in Father Patrick’s left foot. He had no choice but to have that leg amputated too.  

Father Patrick was unable to serve at St. Mary’s Church until he was fitted with prosthetics and learned to walk with his new legs.

“Losing a leg poses a difficult adjustment for anyone, particularly a monastic,” said Father Patrick. “But you adjust by focusing on prayer. I developed special prayers for putting on the prosthetics. I came to see them as a tool of prayer and a means to work for God’s glory.”

During his rehabilitation, Father Patrick continued to minister to the spiritual needs of his flock from his living room. Even though those weren’t the ideal conditions for catechizing converts, Father Patrick looks back on that experience with humor.

“It was the only place I could work at the time,” said Father Patrick. “People would see me wearing a T-shirt and shorts instead of a cassock. It may have scandalized some people, but it was also hysterically funny at the same time. But on a serious note, you learn to focus on prayer in the face of adversity. You thank God that you are alive, and you keep going on with your life.”

Father Patrick has returned to serving at St. Mary’s Church and continues to maintain a busy schedule, albeit with some modifications.

“I serve with a walker or walking stick,” said Father Patrick. “I can only carry the chalice at the Great Entrance, and I distribute Holy Communion from a wheelchair. I also do my censing with some alterations.”

Through his challenges, Igumen Patrick has inspired others to cope with their difficulties by focusing on the power of the Cross.

“I have learned to maintain total trust in God, despite all the challenges. Trust His strength to be yours in weak moments. And keep making every step a step of faith.”

Also, see the article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.