November 27, 2013
Brooklyn, NY: Triumphal Unveiling of Reliquary in St. John the Baptist Church

On Friday, November 22, the feast day of Blessed Matrona of Moscow (her namesday and birthday), the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, visited St. John the Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY’s Sheepshead Bay neighborhood.

His Eminence was concelebrated at the Divine Liturgy by New York City dean and parish rector Archpriest Alexander Belya, Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov; the Metropolitan’s cell attendant), and parish Deacon Petr Utkin.

Upon completion of the service, Metropolitan Hilarion blessed an icon of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves, as well as a reliquary containing the relics of 115 holy saints, including: St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow; the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow; the Holy Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky; the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves; the Nun-Martyr Duchess Elizabeth; Ven. Herman of Alaska; Ven. Job of Pochaev; Ven. Kuksha of Odessa; Holy Hierarchs Luke of Sevastopol, Ignatius of Rostov, Theodosius of Chernigov, Nephon (Nifont) of Novgorod, Simon of Suzdal, and many more.

Addressing the faithful with a didactic sermon, Metropolitan Hilarion noted that the relics of the holy God-pleasing saints are imbued with great grace and, according to the faith of those who approach them, can cure spiritual and physical infirmities and aid those in sorrow.

The First Hierarch also underscored the beauty and majesty of the reliquary, fashioned by Ukrainian metallurgists, and thanked the parish’s warden Ioann for bringing it from Kiev. His Eminence noted that no reliquary with such a gathering of relics exists in any American church.

Metropolitan Hilarion thanked the rector, Fr. Alexander, for spreading the teachings of the Gospel and fortifying the faith in the hearts of the people, drawing attention to the increased number of parishioners.

On November 23, the second day of the celebration of St. Matrona, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church by Eastern American Diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov, co-served by the rector, Fr. Alexander, and Priest Vladimir Kaydanov, cleric of St. George’s Church in Howell, NJ.

After the service, the rector thanked Fr. Serge for his latest visit to the parish and for celebrating the Liturgy, his first in the parish.


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