September 2, 2015
New York City: Bishop Nicholas leads Divine Services in Synodal Cathedral before Protectress of Russian Diaspora

On Sunday, August 30, the feast day of Venerable Alypius, Iconographer of the Kiev Caves, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Grace was co-served by the Synodal Cathedral’s senior priest, Archpriest Andrei Sommer, and cathedral clerics: Archpriest Vasiliy Raskovskiy, Hieromonk Eutychius (Dovganyuk), Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff and Vadim Gan, and Deacon Dionysius Lvov, as well as Priest Konstantin Gavrilkin (cleric of St. John the Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY). Bishop Nicholas also served the resurrectional All-Night Vigil on the eve prior.

The divine services were held under the aegis of the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, which returned to the Synodal Cathedral on August 22 after a lengthy pilgrimage. The church was likewise adorned with the shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos, placed out for veneration by the faithful on the feast of the Dormition. The shroud was donated to the cathedral by craftswomen in St. Petersburg, Russia.

At Liturgy, the Polychronion was intoned for the senior hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Archbishop Alypy of Chicago & Mid-America, named in monasticism for Venerable Alypius of the Caves, and celebrating his namesday that day.

Upon completion of the services, Bishop Nicholas reminded the faithful of the words that the Apostle Paul addressed to the Corinthians, and that were read at the Sunday Liturgy: "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love" (I Cor. 16:13-14). "That is how the Venerable Alypius of the Caves – whose memory we celebrate today and whose relics abide in the Kiev Caves Lavra – lived and labored," noted Bishop Nicholas. "As a child, his parents sent him to the Caves Lavra – where the abbot at the time was Venerable Nikon of the Caves – to study with the masters of iconography. The saint did everything for the glory of God, and took nothing for his services; any remuneration he handed off to the poor, or donated toward the needs of the monastery. In addition to his talent for iconography, the Lord gave Venerable Alypius the gift of healing lepers and restoring sight to the blind. And he performed miracles in God’s name and through the intercessions of the Theotokos. At the beginning of the 12th century, the venerable saint peacefully departed earth for heaven.

"Venerable Alypius followed in the footsteps of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. He healed others, and not only depicted the holy images and their virtues, but, more than this, he reflected the virtues of the saints in his own soul. This is an important lesson for all of us: not only to approach the icons and look at them, but to find a prayerful interaction with the saints, as Venerable Alypius did. We are given that opportunity, and need only make the effort to find a living interaction with the saints."

His Grace reminded the faithful that, on August 18/31, the Russian Church commemorates the Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus. The clergy and choir sang "Memory Eternal" to two of our contemporaries, who possessed a living interaction with the saints: the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus and his brother in prayer, longtime Holy Trinity Monastery cleric Archimandrite Flor (Vanko).

The traditional Sunday luncheon was prepared for clergy and parishioners by the cathedral sisterhood.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese