August
25, 2009
Methuen, MA: Metropolitan Hilarion officiated at the Divine Services
in St. Xenia’s Church
On
August 22-23, on the after-feast of the Transfiguration and
celebration of the Archdeacon Martyr Laurence, His Eminence,
Metropolitan Hilarion, visited St. Xenia’s church in Methuen, MA
with an archpastoral visit. Since his Eminence will be traveling to
Russia with the Kursk Root Icon, he wished to visit St. Xenia’s
before their parish feast-day on September 24.
This
is the first visit of Metropolitan Hilarion to the parish since he
blessed the church’s foundation, and celebrated the 20th
anniversary of the parish. Parishioners were excited to show their
archpastor all that they had accomplished since the laying of the
foundation: the building of the church, the frescoes, the church hall,
and the immense growth of the flock.
Metropolitan
Hilarion was greeted on Saturday night the rector, Priest Michael
Crowley, co-served by Priest Victor Boldewskul (Boston, MA), Priest
Brendan Crowley (Springfield, MA), and Protodeacon Alexander
Jarostchuk (Boston, MA). The choir was conducted by Dimitry Doohovskoy,
a young life-long parishioner of St. Xenia’s.
The
next morning, hundreds of parishioners and visitors arrived,
anticipating the arrival of their First Hierarch and the ordination of
their beloved parishioner, Subdeacon Constantine Desrosiers, to the
Diaconate. His Eminence was co-served by the above mentioned clergy
and Deacon Dimitry Temidis. Also praying in the Altar was the Head of
the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Joasaph
McLellan. The Liturgy was conducted by St. Xenia’s regular
conductor, Michael Lang.
Following
the service, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed the parish,
congratulating them on all their accomplishments over the years, and
bestowed gramatas to several long-time parishioners who had made
particularly important contributions to the church. A Lenten luncheon
was then provided for all the guests by the parishioners of St.
Xenia’s, where several individuals again congratulated the parish
for their labors for Christ and for their good example as a young but
thriving parish.
