August 5, 2015
Nanuet, NY: Two Metropolitans celebrate Patronal Feast of St. Seraphim Church at Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo"

On Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, the feast day of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, paid an archpastoral visit to Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY, and led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy for the patronal feast day of the convent’s main St. Seraphim Church, co-served by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen).

At the All-Night Vigil on Saturday evening, Their Eminences were co-served by the convent’s senior priest, Archpriest Alexander Fedorowski, and monastery and visiting clergy. During the Polyeleos, an akathist was read to the heavenly protector of the church and convent, after which the worshippers, venerating the icon of St. Seraphim, received the blessing of the First Hierarch, who anointed them with oil.

On Sunday morning, greeting the two metropolitans were convent clergy Archpriest Alexander Fedorowski and Yaroslav Belikow, Archpriest George Zelenin (rector of St. Michael’s Church in Paterson, NJ), Archpriest Oleg Shulgin, Hieromonk Photius (Oulanov; cleric of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY), Priest Nikolai Gulin (cleric of St. Stephen Cathedral OCA in Philadelphia, PA), Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov; cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City), convent Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky, Deacon George Temidis (member of the Diocesan Council), and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; cleric of the Australian Dioecse).

During the reading of the Hours, Metropolitan Hilarion admitted the handmaiden of God Eudocia (Pankov) into the convent sisterhood, blessing her to wear the cassock and veil (apostolnik or epimandylion).

A multitude of pilgrims filled the church and prayed under the harmonic singing of the parish choir. In his sermon, His Eminence noted the significance of St. Seraphim in both the Russian and Universal Church, and underscored the importance of honoring his labors in our day-to-day lives.

After the procession, Metropolitan Hilarion thanked Fr. Alexander, the clergy, nuns, singers, and all those who gathered to pray at the feast. All of the worshippers were invited to a wonderfully appointed luncheon in the cafeteria of the retirement home, located at the Novo-Diveevo convent.

After the luncheon, the hierarchs made their way to the monastery refectory, where they led a talk with the sisters of the convent.

Fr. Alexander invited the metropolitans to the Dormition Church, the convent’s first church, which houses a portrait of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov painted during the saint’s lifetime. The portrait was brought to Novo-Diveevo by Protopresbyter Adrian Rymarenko, the convent’s founder, who later became Archbishop Andrei. He also spoke about the history of other sacred items located in the Dormition Church. The hierarchs piously venerated the holy items, and thanked Fr. Alexander.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese