Русская Версия

May 25, 2011
New York, NY: The Primates of the OCA and ROCOR celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the Namesday of Patriarch Kyrill

On Tuesday, May 24, on the feast day of Sts. Cyril & Methodius, Equals-of-the-Apostles, when the fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church marks the namesday of its Primate, His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, a triumphal Liturgy was served in St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City, concelebrated for the first time by the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude Jonah, Metropolitan of America and Canada, and the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern American & New York. The Primates were co-served by the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Eminence Justinian, Archbishop of Naro-Fominsk, His Grace Tikhon, Bishop of Philadelphia & Eastern Pennsylvania, His Grace Jerome, Bishop of Manhattan, and a multitude of clergy of the Russian and American churches.

Upon completion of the Liturgy, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, and His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, sent a joint congratulatory letter to His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, on the occasion of his namesday:

"Your Holiness, Most Holy Master! We thank the Lord, Who on this festal day has vouchsafed us to offer unto Him the Bloodless Sacrifice in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Nicholas of the Russian Orthodox Church in New York City!

"On this, the feast day of the holy Equals-of-the-Apostles, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Enlighteners of the Slavs, having communed in the One Holy Spirit of the One Chalice of Christ, with sincere love we greet Your Holiness on the occasion of your Namesday!

"By God’s beneficent Providence you have been fated to serve as the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, of which the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is an inseparable part, and which is the Mother – and Sister – Church of the Orthodox Church in America.

We are certain that the long-desired concelebration of the Hierarchs of the American Church and the Russian Church Abroad will be a glad tiding to Your Holiness, and to the innumerable Orthodox clergy and laity."

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, then greeted his co-brother the First Hierarch, the archpastors, and the clergy on the momentous day in Church history. His Beatitude expressed his sincere gratitude to His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, for his invitation to join the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad in performing the Holy Eucharist in the Patriarchal Cathedral on the feast day of Sts. Cyril & Methodius. In honor of the joint service, His Beatitude presented Metropolitan Hilarion with a piece of the relics of St. Herman of Alaska and St. Alexis Toth.

In response, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, expressed his certainty that, "An historical event has taken place – on the feast day of the Enlighteners of the Slavs, Equals-of-the-Apostles, we gathered at St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral to celebrate the Liturgy and congratulate His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill." Metropolitan Hilarion then presented Metropolitan Jonah with a piece of the relics of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco.

As reported by the official site of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk then greeted the Primate of the American Church and the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, as well as Bishops Tikhon and Jerome: "Today is truly a great day: in the radiant days of the celebration of Christ’s Pascha, we experienced the joy of shared prayer on the occasion of the namesday of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, who has gathered us all here – in St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral."

In prayerful memory of the historic occasion and the namesday of His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, Archbishop Justinian presented to Metropolitans Jonah and Hilarion icons of the Vladimir Mother of God, and icons of the Kazan Mother of God to Bishops Tikhon and Jerome.

A bountiful luncheon was then offered in the cathedral hall, during which many congratulatory and grateful remarks were offered on behalf of the visiting guests and dignitaries. On behalf of the clergy of the Eastern American Diocese, diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov presented the Hierarchs with commemorative photo albums containing photographs of the Divine Liturgy served that morning.

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Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese