December
19, 2009
Red
Bank, NJ: Bishop George led the Divine Services in St. Nicholas Church
on the occasion of its Patronal Feast Day
On December 19, the feast day
of St. Nicholas, Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, His Grace, Bishop
George of Mayfield, led the divine services in St.
Nicholas Church in Red Bank, NJ, on the occasion of the
parish’s patronal feast day. On Friday, December 18, the eve of the
feast, parishioners and other faithful festively greeted the
wonder-working Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God and His Grace with
a procession prior to the start of the All-Night Vigil. The Vigil was
led by Bishop George, co-served by the rector, Archpriest Serge
Lukianov, and parish clergy – Priest Jonah Campbell and Deacon
Leonid Roschko. Upon completion of the Vigil, a litiy was served for
the repose of the newly departed Archbishop Job of Chicago and the
Midwest (OCA) and Archimandrite Joasaph (McLellan), who had passed
away that same day. After the litiy, Fr. Serge offered a touching
homily on the half of the departed.
The following morning, despite
a snowstorm sacking the Eastern American Diocese, parishioners
gathered to glorify their Heavenly Intercessor and celebrate their
parish feast day. The Divine Liturgy began after the triumphal
greeting of the bishop and the icon, and was celebrated by His Grace
Bishop George, co-served by the parish clergy, as well as Priest
Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church, NJ) and
Priest Vitaly Lialukov (cleric of the Church of Our Lady, the
Inexhaustible Chalice, NY). At the end of the service, Vladyka gave a
wonderful sermon on the life of St. Nicholas, which was followed by a
moleben to the Thetokos and St. Nicholas. Upon completion of the
Liturgy, Fr. Serge greeted His Grace, thanking him for his
archpastoral visit to Red Bank and presenting him with a copy of the
Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. Bishop George then presented a
copy of the icon to the warden, Nicholas E. Burbelo, on the occasion
of the latter’s namesday, while smaller icons were presented to
altar-servers celebrating their namesday. After the service, a festal
luncheon was offered in the parish hall.
Later that evening, despite
the heavy snowfall, a small group of the faithful returned to fill the
church
of St. George with their heartfelt prayer, greeting the
bishop and, along with him, the wonder-working icon of the Mother of
God, for which a marvelous blue frame of flowers had been made by the
parish youth. Unfortunately, the poor weather necessitated canceling
services on Sunday, but the faithful thanked the Almighty for the
chance to venerate this holy icon before its departure to the South. O
Holy Hierarch and Father Nicholas, pray unto God for us!
Media
Office of the Eastern American Diocese
