December 11, 2010
New York, NY: ROCOR’s First Hierarch led the divine services in
honor of the patronal feast day of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign
On
Friday, December 10, the patronal feast day of the Kursk Root Icon
of the Mother of God "of the Sign" and the 90th anniversary of the
founding of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia were
celebrated in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign. Divine services
were led by the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His
Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York. The
First Hierarch was co-served by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander
of Astana and Kazakhstan, Head of the Metropolitan District in
Kazakhstan, Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany, Archbishop Kyrill
of Western America and San Francisco, Archbishop Justinian of
Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA,
Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, Bishop Peter of Cleveland,
Bishop George of Mayfield, Bishop Jerome of Manhattan, and a
multitude of clergy from every corner of the Russian Diaspora.
The divine services were held in the presence of the wonder-working
Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, the Protectress of the Russian
Diaspora. The triumphal singing of the Synodal choir, under the
direction of P.A. Fekula, facilitated the prayerful and festal mood
of all of the clergy and worshipers present.
During the communion of the clergy, Archbishop Mark read aloud a
congratulatory letter from Archbishop Herman of Kursk and Rylsk.
Upon
completion of the Liturgy, the archpastors and clergy performed a
short moleben before the wonder-working icon of the Mother of God,
after which the Primate of the Russian Church Abroad greeted
concelebrating clergy and the faithful. For his dedicated labors in
helping fortify unity in the Russian Church, Metropolitan Alexander
of Astana and Kazakhstan was awarded the Synodal Order of the Sign,
1st Class. The First Hierarch also awarded Synodal Archdeacon Eugene
Burbelo the Synodal Order of the Sign, 2nd Class, in honor of the
55th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate. The appropriate
polychronia were then intoned.
The sisterhood prepared a bountiful luncheon in the Synodal hall,
during which festal speeches and congratulatory greetings were
pronounced. During the luncheon, diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge
Lukianov congratulated Metropolitan Hilarion on the 35th anniversary
of his clerical service, and presented His Eminence with a
hierarchal staff on behalf of the Vicar Bishops and the faithful
children of the Eastern American Diocese. An icon of the Holy New
Martyrs of Russia was also presented to Archdeacon Eugene and
Matushka Claudia Burbelo in honor of Fr. Eugene’s anniversary. After
the luncheon, the Icon departed from the Synodal Headquarters to
begin its journey to the parishes of our diocese.
According to the
official
website of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, that same
evening an official reception was held in the General Consulate of
the Russian Federation in New York in honor of the feast of the
Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" – the principal
feast of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
