November 5, 2014
New York City: Hierarchs & Clergy celebrate Divine Liturgy in Synodal Cathedral on Metropolitan Hilarion’s Namesday

On Monday, November 3, the feast day of Ven. Hilarion of the Kiev Caves, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City on the occasion of his namesday, co-served by His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan.

The bishops were co-served by:
- Archpriest Alexander Belya (dean of New York City);
- Archimandrite Nathanael (Symeonides; Director of the Office of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese);
- Archpriest Serge Lukianov (secretary of the Eastern American Diocese);
- Archpriest George Kallaur (rector of the Church of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" on Staten Island, NY);
- Archpriest Andrei Sommer (senior priest of the cathedral);
- Archpriest Petro Kunitsky (cleric of Holy New Martyrs of Russia Church in Brooklyn, NY);
- Archpriest Boris Slootsky (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ);
- Hieromonk Gabriel (Kvasnikov; rector of Holy Trinity Church in Mebane, NC);
- Archpriest Vasiliy Raskovskiy (cleric of the Eastern American Diocese);
- Archpriest Constantine Semyanko (rector of Holy Presentation Church in Stratford, CT);
- Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (member of the Diocesan Council, rector of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY);
- Abbot Cornelius (Apukhtin; temporary rector of Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY);
- Hieromonk Zosimas (Krampis; cleric of Holy Cross Brotherhood in East Setauket, NY);
- cathedral clerics Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff, Deacons Nazari Fataliev and Dionysius Lvov, and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; cleric of the Australian Diocese).

Also praying at Liturgy were His Grace John, Bishop of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, and Archpriest Serafim Gan, secretary of the Synod of Bishops. On behalf of the clergy and faithful of the Eastern American Diocese, Fr. Serge Lukianov congratulated His Eminence and presented him with an icon of the Savior "Not-Made-by-Hands." On behalf of the Synodal staff, Fr. Serafim Gan presented the Metropolitan a portrait of St. John of Kronstadt. Metropolitan Hilarion thanked the clergy and faithful for sharing in the joy of the feast day of his Heavenly intercessor.

The cathedral sisterhood prepared a festal buffet-style luncheon, at which the clergy, parishioners, and guests were able to continue their interaction.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese