November 18, 2015
Passaic, NJ: Bishop Nicholas
leads Patronal Feast of Sts. Cosmas & Damian Church

On Saturday, November 14, the feast day of the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas & Damian, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, visited Sts. Cosmas & Damian Church in Passaic, NJ with the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the parish’s patronal feast day. His Grace was co-served by clergy of the New Jersey parishes: Archpriests Mark Burachek (rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark), George Zelenin (rector of St. Michael’s Church in Paterson), and Boris Slootsky (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell), Priest Dmitri Don (parish rector), Protodeacon Leonid Roschko (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral), and parish Protodeacon Vladimir Oliynyk.

With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, and for his dedicated service to the Holy Church, Bishop Nicholas awarded Fr. Dmitri Don the right to wear the gold cross.

Upon completion of the Liturgy, Bishop Nicholas congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the occasion of their patronal feast, and addressed the faithful with a sermon:

"In today’s Gospel reading, we heard how our Lord Jesus Christ chose His apostles, giving them spiritual power and sending them out to preach, sending them out to heal the sick, to cleanse the lepers, to raise the dead, to cast out demons. And it is there that we hear these words: ‘freely ye have received, freely give.’ The Apostles received gifts from God: they were His disciples, they heard His teachings, saw His miracles, and received great power to preach the most important message – that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. So too did the unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian serve God and the people. They were raised by their widowed mother: she gave them faith, education, lessons in virtue. They mastered medical science and learned to heal the sick. They were surrounded by the poor, and they served them selflessly, doing everything in the name of Jesus Christ: they approached the sick with prayer and the Lord gave them the grace to heal people. It is for that they were called unmercenaries. They had a love for God, and this love bore a love for people."

Bishop Nicholas called on the faithful to exercise their love for God in our current, godless world, in so doing fulfilling the commandment of Christ: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. We are lacking such love in our days, both among the Orthodox and throughout the world. To love God means to believe in Him, to fulfill His commandments, to be obedient, to be good. This is not easy, but Orthodox Christians know that, without struggle and without hard work, we will live only for this world, but when we labor and make the effort, then we live according to God’s commandments. And when we live according to God’s commandments, then this love spreads to all those around us, to Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike. And God’s mercy will be poured out on us and we will not fear life in the midst of the godless world." His Grace also called on the faithful to offer daily prayers to God, the Mother of God, and the saints, that they might visit and heal them.

The clergy then served a short moleben before the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God and the icon of Sts. Cosmas & Damian.

The sisterhood prepared a festal luncheon or the clergy, parishioners, and guests. In honor of his namesday, which had taken place the previous Sunday (November 8), parishioners presented Fr. Dmitri with a cake. Interaction between the hierarch, clergy, and parishioners continued over lunch.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese