December 10, 2014
New York City: Clergy & Faithful mark Metropolitan Hilarion’s 30th
Anniversary at Patronal Feast Day of Synodal Cathedral
On Tuesday the 9th and Wednesday the 10th of December, on the
patronal feast day of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York
City – the feast of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the
Sign," and the 30th anniversary of his episcopal consecration,
Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern American & New York, First Hierarch
of the Russian Church Abroad, led the divine services in the
cathedral. He was co-served by members of the Synod of Bishops, who
were holding a regular session of the Synod on December 9th:
- Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany & Great Britain;
-
Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco & Western America;
-
Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada;
- Archbishop Michael of
Geneva & Western Europe;
- Bishop Peter of Cleveland,
Administrator of the Mid-American Diocese;
- Bishop George of
Mayfield, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese;
- Bishop Jerome
(Shaw);
- Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern
American Diocese;
as well as visiting hierarchs:
- Bishop Daniil of
Dragovitsa (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); and
- Bishop Saba of
North America (Georgian Orthodox Church).
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The
hierarchs we co-served by a
multitude of Synodal
and diocesan clergy. Present at the divine services was the
Consul General of the Russian Federation in New York City, Igor
Golubovsky. Singing the festal services was the Synodal choir, under
the direction of Peter Fekula.
Upon completion of the service, the hierarchs and clergy served a
thanksgiving moleben before the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the
Mother of God. A congratulatory epistle to Metropolitan Hilarion
from His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, was read
aloud by Synodal Chancellor Archpriest Serafim Gan. The Patriarchal
congratulations to the First Hierarch read, in part: "Your fatherly
care for your flock, your monastic meekness, your responsiveness to
those in need, and other virtues have brought forth fruit in the
form of filial love to you, a spiritual award to a loving father,
which you ought properly to receive, especially on this feast day of
the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, the day of your own
personal Pentecost. Everyone knows that the doors of your residence
are always open to all. Besides clergymen, you are visited by many
from among the laity. Some approach you for material aid, others –
for comfort from their sorrows; others unabashedly come to you with
complaints. How much meekness, patience, wisdom is needed to
properly resolve every need in these wicked days! We know, too, that
beyond your official duties, our blessed First Hierarch is
unpretentious and accessible. You always and everywhere express
genuine interest in all good works, hastening to offer your wise
counsel and blessings."
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Metropolitan
Hilarion likewise received congratulations from Archbishop Mark of
Berlin, Germany & Great Britain, and from Bishop Nicholas of
Manhattan. On behalf of the archpastors, members of the Synod of
Bishops, and the monastics of Venerable Job of Pochaev Monastery in
Bavaria, Archbishop Mark presented His Eminence two sets of
hierarchal vestments. Bishop Nicholas thanked the Metropolitan for
his prayers and joint labors, and on behalf of the clergy,
brotherhood, sisterhood, and parishioners of the Synodal Cathedral
presented Metropolitan Hilarion with a set of blue hierarchal
vestments and a Hierarchal service book.
Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the clergy and parishioners of
the cathedral on the occasion of the patronal feast day, and
sincerely thanked them for their prayers and their love for Christ,
His Holy Church, and the Most Pure Virgin Mary. He especially
thanked the Patriarch and episcopate for their brotherly love and
support, and wished everyone God’s mercy and aid. "It is a
particular joy for us to concelebrate with a representative of the
ancient Georgian Church, Bishop Saba," said Metropolitan Hilarion.
"And with Bishop Daniil, who came to share in the joy of the feast
with us as a representative of the Bulgarian Church, from which we
[the Russian Church – ed.] received our translations of Holy
Scripture and the texts of the divine services." Metropolitan
Hilarion thanked the clergy for their laborious service in the
difficult conditions of the Diaspora, for their labors and prayers,
by which a multitude of the faithful are nourished, and which draw
people in need of salvation; he expressed also in the continued
future love and prayers of his concelebrants.
For their selfless labors on behalf of the Holy Church, Metropolitan
Hilarion awarded Synodal Gramotas to cathedral staff: treasurer and
sisterhood member Matushka Nadia Mokhoff, assistant choir conductor
Matushka Eugenia Temidis, and parishioner Galina Chubarov.
The feast concluded with a reception in honor of the feast and the
anniversary of Metropolitan Hilarion’s episcopal consecration in the
reception hall of nearby Holy Trinity Greek Cathedral.
Media Office of the Eastern
American Diocese
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