December 17, 2014
Clearwater, FL: Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates Divine Liturgy in St. Catherine Mission

On Wednesday, December 17, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Catherine Mission, official based on Clearwater, FL. With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Mitrophan, however, the service was held in St. Sava Serbian Church in St. Petersburg, FL, as the mission is temporarily without a church building of its own.

Co-serving with His Eminence were priests from several jurisdictions: Archimandrite Martin (Hohlfeld; acting rector of St. Catherine Mission), Archpriest Stefan Zaremba (rector of St. Sava’s Church), Priests Andrey Kovalev (Moscow Patriarchate cleric); Stephen Lourie (OCA cleric on loan to the Antiochian Archdiocese); and Mark Rowe (ROCOR cleric on loan to the Serbian Church). Also praying in the altar was Priest Dragan Zaric (cleric of the Serbian Church), and praying in church was Priest Michael Massou (cleric of the Antiochian Archdiocese).

Prior to the start of Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion ordained Joseph Galluccio a subdeacon, assigning him to St. Catherine Mission.

After the service, His Eminence met with the clergy and parishioners of St. Catherine Mission to discuss the mission’s future and ways to grow the community.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese