October 9, 2009
Howell, NJ: His Grace Bishop Meletiy of Khotin celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. George's Church

On Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th of October, festive divine services took place in St. George's Church (Howell, NJ) for the Sunday after the Exaltation, as well as the Finding of the Relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov. On Saturday evening, His Grace, Bishop Meletiy of Khotin, arrived at the church. His Grace, Bishop George of Mayfield, also attended, having arrived in the U.S. the previous day from Russia, where he had been taking part in the historic trip of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God to the homeland. The divine services were led by Bishop Meletiy, co-served by the rector, Archpriest Serge Lukianov, Archpriest Victor Tseshkovsky, Priest Ilia Marzev (dean of the St. Sergius Cathedral in Cleveland, OH),  Priest Jonah Campbell, Hierodeacon Nikita, and Deacon Leonid Roschko. After the singing of the polychronion, Bishop Meletiy triumphantly carried the Holy Cross into the altar, in commemoration of the Leavetaking of the Exaltation. Bishop George welcomed Bishop Meletiy on behalf of Metropolitan Hilarion, to the Eastern American Diocese and presented him an icon of the Kursk-Root Mother of God. After the Liturgy, Ataman of the Kuban Cossack Voisko, Alexander Mikhailovich Pewnew, opened the Cossack hall to our great hierarchs, and told Bishops Meletiy (a Kuban Cossack himself) and George about the process of returning the Cossack regalia to Russia. Afterwards, the sisterhood presented a bountiful luncheon for parishioners and our guests.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese