January 20, 2012
Sea Cliff, NY: Bishop Jerome Celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Seraphim Church on the occasion of its Minor Patronal Feast Day

On Saturday, January 14, on the eve of the winter feast of St. Seraphim, the rector of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church in Sea Cliff, NY, Archpriest Serafim Gan, served the All-Night Vigil, co-served by parish clerics: Protodeacon Paul Wolkow and Deacon Eugene Kallaur. A reception was then held in the rector’s residence on the occasion of the continuing holy days of Christmas, the New Year, and the upcoming feast of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Sixty parishioners attended the reception, having been at the Vigil that evening, as well as Priest Alexandre Antchoutine, who arrived after completing the divine services in Holy Virgin Protection Church in nearby Glen Cove.

The following morning, on the feast of the repose of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the parish’s minor patronal feast day, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Jerome of Manhattan, celebrated the Divine Liturgy there, co-served by parish rector Archpriest Serafim, Protodeacon Paul, Deacon Eugene, and Deacon Nathan Mousselli (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign). The parish choir sang joyously under the direction of N.M. Miro. During the Small Entrance, Fr. Serafim was awarded the jeweled cross for selfless service to Christ’s Holy Church.

Upon completion of the divine services, a moleben was served before the parish’s icon of St. Seraphim with his relics, after which Bishop Jerome blessed the newly completed iconography in the church’s dome. Prior to the veneration of the cross, with the blessing of the President of the Synod of Bishops, longtime parishioners M.S. and A.N. Ryl were awarded the Synodal Order of the Sign, 2nd Class. In gratitude for his many years of service to the ROCOR Synod of Bishops, Fr. Serafim was presented with a jeweled cross.

A video of Bishop Jerome’s sermon will be uploaded to the parish website in the near future.

During the festal luncheon, organized by the parish sisterhood under the leadership of E.M. Mikheev, greetings were delivered by Bishop Jerome, Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky (Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations Orthodox Church in America), and the rector.

The clergy and parishioners hope soon to begin completing the iconography in the main portion of the church – from the narthex to the dome, were the entirety of the Russian Church’s 1000-year history will be depicted: from the Baptism of Rus to the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion in Moscow, which will complete the great fresco. The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (in honor of parishioner Andrei Gevorgian, who was killed in the Lockerbie bombing), the Holy Equals-of-the-Apostles Vladimir & Olga, Sts. Cyril & Methodius, the saints of Kievan and Muscovite Rus, the saints of the Synodal period, His Holiness, Patriarch Tikhon, the New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia, and the saints of the Russian Diaspora – all of these holy God-pleasers will be depicted on the backdrop of great events in our shared history and more famous churches and holy sites of the Motherland and the Diaspora. God willing, parishioners anticipate the completion of work on the iconostasis and other projects in the church.


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