Русская Версия

January 10, 2010
Sea Cliff, NY: Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Seraphim of Sarov Church on the second day of Christmas

On January 8, the second day of the feast of Christ’s Nativity, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Seraphim of Sarov Church in Sea Cliff, NY, co-served by its rector, Archpriest Serafim Gan, the Director of the Synodal Chancery of the Synod of Bishops and the Personal Secretary of His Eminence, along with Protodeacon Paul Wolkow, deacons Nicholas Olhovsky, Assistant to the Director of the Chancery, and Eugene Kallaur, Archivist of the Synod of Bishops. Praying in the altar during the divine services were Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, rector of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Church in Sea Cliff and Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations of the Orthodox Church in America, and Priest Alexandre Antchoutine, rector of the neighboring Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Glen Cove, NY. The parish choir sang joyously under the direction of N.M. Miro. During the Communion hymn, the rector read aloud the Nativity Epistle of His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Upon completion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion turned to the worshipers with his own First Hierarchal address. At the end of the service, His Eminence performed a litiy for the departed over the body of the newly departed Panteleymon Leonidovich Shohov, one of the founders of the parish and a prominent figure in Russian émigré society, who always fervently supported various Russian Orthodox causes, including the great cause of reunification of the Local Russian Orthodox Church.

At the luncheon, which proceeded in a festive spirit, short speeches were made by Archpriests Serafim Gan and Leonid Kishkovsky. In his address, Fr. Serafim congratulated His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, with the ongoing feast of Christ’s Nativity, as well as the Metropolitan’s recent birthday. Fr. Serafim then asked His Eminence’s prayers, that the parishioners of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church might labor unto the rejoicing of His Eminence and Christ’s whole Church. Despite the fact that many people like the newly departed Panteleymon Leonidovich (that is, those who stood for the preservation of Russia outside her borders) are leaving this world for the next, we believe and hope that the Lord will help us to become as our predecessors, founders within the Russian Church Abroad and believers in Holy Russia, despite our living abroad. This, after all, is our calling, and our unceasing prayers must address it, stressed the rector. The parish choir then sang Christmas carols and other songs of the Nativity feast.

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