August 17, 2015
Hartford, CT: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Patronal Feast Day Services in St. Panteleimon Church

On Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th of August, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, paid an archpastoral visit to St. Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT and led the church’s patronal feast day. His Eminence served the All-Night Vigil on Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning, the very day of the feast, celebrated the Divine Liturgy, co-served by parish rector Archpriest Dionisy Nalitov, Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov) and Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff (clerics of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City), and Deacons George Temidis (member of the Diocesan Council) and Alexander Doohovskoy (cleric of St. Xenia Church in Methuen, MA).

In 1958, a small group of Orthodox Christians decided to found a church that would hold divine services only in Church Slavonic. Under the leadership of their priest, they rented a small, vacant sports hall, combining their efforts to transform it into a cozy church. Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky; +1965) named the church in honor of the Holy Great-Martyr Panteleimon.

In October 1967, construction began on a true Russian Orthodox church. Most of the building and beautification work was carried out by the clergy and parishioners themselves. In July 1971, the church was completed, and in September 1972, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky; +1985) and Bishop Laurus (Skurla; later First Hierarch of ROCOR; +2008) consecrated it. The five-domed church, built in the traditional Russian urban style, came to adorn not only the small and quiet Becket Street, but all of Hartford.

A multitude of parishioners gathered for the festal service, as well as pilgrims from New York and Massachusetts, many of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries. During the reading of the Hours, Metropolitan Hilarion tonsured Ivan Nalitov a reader and ordained Reader Eugene Utnuhin a subdeacon.

Upon completion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion delivered a sermon to the gathered faithful, in which he spoke about the life of the Holy Great-Martyr Panteleimon, calling on the faithful to prayerfully run to the help of the Healer with their needs and ailments. His Eminence related the story of a monk suffering from cancer, who prayerfully venerated the relics of St. Panteleimon and was healed.

After the service, the clergy and participants of the feast performed a procession around the church. Joining the clergy was Priest James Parnell (rector of All Saints Church OCA in Hartford).

After the procession, the St. Anna Sisterhood, led by head sister Matushka Ksenia Nalitov, invited the clergy and faithful to a festal luncheon. A picnic was organized on the grounds next to the church. Both on Saturday and Sunday, the faithful had ample opportunity after the services to interact with Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, and receive answers to their questions.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese