Howell, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Divine Services for Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral

August 31, 2015
Howell, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Divine Services for Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral

Dormition – the estival Pascha, a feast of quiet joy. And the joy of the Dormition is a special one: now it is not God, but a simple human being, following in Christ’s steps and vouchsafed to defeat death. She departed, but did not abandon us. And the troparion of the feast reminds us of this truth: "In giving birth thou didst preserve virginity; and in thy dormition thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos."

On Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th of August, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy for the great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ. His Grace was co-served by New Jersey dean Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov, diocesan secretary and cathedral dean Archpriest Serge Lukianov, Archpriest Rafael Melendez (Albanian Orthodox Church), cathedral clerics Archpriest Boris Slootsky and Priest Seraphim Chemodakov, Priest Valery Sukholobov (rector of Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in Philadelphia, PA), Priest James Dougherty, Protodeacon Leonid Roschko (cathedral cleric), Deacon Anatoly Revitskyy (cleric of Joy of All Who Sorrow Church), and Deacon Paul Drozdowski (cathedral cleric).

In accordance with tradition, the All-Night Vigil in the diocesan cathedral was served according to the Jerusalem Rite. For the "Pascha of the Theotokos," as the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos has historically been called in the Holy Land and Russia, the shroud of the Mother of God was brought out into the middle of the church for veneration and the burial rite. The shroud at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is easily distinguishable from most of the shrouds that are brought out for the feast days in other Russian churches in America. The shroud is covered by an arch – such were the Paschal and Dormition shrouds displayed in Russia before the Revolution and in Russian cathedral churches until the middle of the 1930s, when the most brutal persecutions against the Church began, and church life was forced underground for many years. The author of and laborer behind these shrouds for many years at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is Matushka Irina Lukianov.

Upon completion of the Vigil, the clergy and parishioners, led by Metropolitan Hilarion, bore the shroud in procession around the cathedral.

The following morning, August 28, the Metropolitan celebrated the Divine Liturgy. At the Little Entrance, His Eminence awarded Priest James Dougherty the right to wear the nabedrennik and purple skufia, and elevated cathedral Deacon Paul Drozdowski to the rank of protodeacon. After the Great Entrance, he ordained Deacon Anatoly Revitskyy to the priesthood. Fr. Anatoly will continue his serve at Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in Philadelphia.

On this joyous feast of hope in the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos, a multitude of the faithful communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the great feast of the Theotokos, and addressed the faithful with a sermon, in which he underscored the fact that, despite the event of the Mother of God’s Dormition being a seemingly sad event, nevertheless the festal hymns are full of joy and love. "We do not sorrow today, but rather rejoice in the resurrection of the Mother of God, for her Dormition has become a ladder to the Heavens," said the Metropolitan. His Eminence called on the faithful to make haste to the Mother of God in our prayers, for her tender heart will hear our petitions.

Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the newly ordained Priest Anatoly Revitskyy, wishing him God’s aid, discernment, and love for his parishioners in his coming pastoral service. His Eminence also congratulated the newly awarded Fr. James and Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski.

The clergy served a short moleben to the Mother of God before the shroud, after which – also in accordance with Gethsemane tradition – the faithful were given sweetbread "crosses" as a blessing, which were prepared with love by Matushka Irina Lukianov and her helpers. A festal luncheon was then prepared for the clergy and parishioners in the church hall.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese