November 7, 2014
Newark, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Patronal Feast Day of Kazan Church

On Tuesday, November 4, the feast day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and led the patronal feast day in Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ. Concelebrating was His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan. The hierarchs were co-served by:

- Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov (rector emeritus of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ);
- Archpriest Serge Lukianov (diocesan secretary);
- Archpriest George Kallaur (rector of "Unexpected Joy" Church on Staten Island, NY);
- Archpriest Mark Burachek (parish rector);
- Archpriest George Zelenin (rector of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Paterson, NJ);
- Archpriest Boris Slootsky (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral);
- Priest Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church in New Brunswick, NJ);
- Priest Seraphim Chemodakov (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral);
- Priest Serge Ledkovsky (deputy rector of St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ);
- Priest Dmitri Don (rector of Sts. Cosmas & Damian Church in Passaic, NJ);
- Protodeacon Dimitri Temidis (cleric of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY);
- Deacon George Temidis (member of the Diocesan Council, cleric of Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY);
- Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; cleric of the Australian Diocese).

Upon completion of the Liturgy, the clergy served a short moleben before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

In his greeting to the parish rector and parishioners, Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated then and all of the faithful on the occasion of their patronal feast day, calling on them to run to the Most Holy Theotokos in prayer, whether in joy or sorrow, for enlightenment and comforting. His Eminence thanked Fr. Mark, the warden, and members of the parish council, sisterhood, and choir for their sincere efforts, making special mention of longtime laborers, presenting them with Synodal Gramotas. Among those awarded were Reader Nicholas N. Pokrovsky, Nicholas K. Kossovich, Alexandra N. Melas, Zinaida G. Chupritsky, and choir director Maria S. Burachek. Metropolitan Hilarion reminded the clergy and faithful that the feast day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God coincides with the namesday of Archbishop Averky (Taushev); the clergy jointly intoned "Memory Eternal" for the ever-memorable hierarch.

The feast concluded in the parish hall, where the parish sisterhood prepared a festal luncheon for the clergy and faithful.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese