The faithful of St John the Baptist Church in Canonsburg invites all to join them to witness the ordination of Reader John Thompson to the Holy Diaconate.

The ordination by His Eminence took place during the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 9:30 AM. There was a reception afterwards in the parish hall.

Reader John Thompson is a member of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Canonsburg, PA, and is a retired librarian living in Waynesburg, PA. His parents had been Protestant missionaries to the Philippines, but settled in Waynesburg and ran a small Christian bookstore from their home. After graduating from Wheaton College, he settled in Chicago and worked as a librarian at two theological seminaries. He was received into Antiochian Orthodox Church in 1993 along with 48 other members of his local church in Chicago.

He and Nancy Schmickle were married in 1998 in Chicago, but moved to Waynesburg three years later. They adopted two boys from Guatemala and had a daughter of their own. In 2008 Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer and reposed in 2011.

John worked for 21 years in the library at Waynesburg University, where he also was the sponsor of the OCF chapter and occasionally taught in the Biblical studies department. At St. John the Baptist Church, he has taught church school, served on the Parish Council, and started a church bookstore. He also serves on the Outreach Committee and assists Fr. John Kotalik as an altar server. Reader John has completed the requirements for the OCA’s Diaconal Vocations Program and looks forward to serving the faithful of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.