November 2, 2011
Brooklyn, NY: The Feast Day of St. John of Kronstadt in the Church
of Our Lady "The Inexhaustible Chalice"
On
Tuesday, November 1, on the feast day of St. John of Kronstadt, His
Grace, Eastern American Diocese vicar Bishop George of Mayfield
visited the
Church of Our Lady "The Inexhaustible Chalice" at St. John’s
Mercy House in Brooklyn, NY.
His Grace was co-served by diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge
Lukianov, Archpriest Petr Kruashvili (rector of St. Grigol of
Khandzta Georgian Church in Somerville, NJ), Archpriest Zoran
Radovic (rector of St. George Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ),
Archpriest Charalambos Politis (cleric of St. Nicholas Greek Church
in Brooklyn), Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell; cleric of Holy Cross
Monastery in Wayne, WV), parish cleric Priest Paul Ivanov, parish
rector Priest Vadim Arefiev, and Deacon Leonid Roschko (cleric of
St. George’s Church in Howell, NJ).
Before the start of Liturgy, His Grace tonsured senior altar server
Vladimir Anzorovich a reader. During the Small Entrance, with the
blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, Bishop George
awarded the rector the kamilavka and Fr. Paul the gold pectoral
cross.
Despite the fact that the church is undergoing major renovations, it
was filled to capacity with the faithful, who came to lift up their
prayers to St. John. During the service, parish priests continually
confessed the faithful.
Upon completion of the Liturgy, Bishop George addressed worshippers
with a sermon on the life and labors of St. John of Kronstadt and
told the faithful about the glorification of this All-Russian
wonderworker and wondrous God-pleaser by the Church Abroad in 1964.
His Grace also congratulated Fr. Vadim, Fr. Paul, parishioners, and
the brethren of the Mercy House on the occasion of the feast,
wishing them zeal in the Orthodox faith akin to their heavenly
patron St. John. In reply, the rector thanked Bishop George for his
archpastoral visit and the guests for jointly celebrating the
Liturgy, noting that "the brethren of Mercy House and parishioners
of the Church of Our Lady ‘The Inexhaustible Chalice’ ask for the
holy prayers not only of His Grace himself, but of all the monks of
Holy Cross Monastery. Our parish community would very much like to
establish closer ties with the monastery, provide the brethren
assistance, and organize a several-day pilgrimage to the monastery
to help work at the monastery and fortify ourselves spiritually.
There is an invisible connection between us and Holy Cross Monastery
– our common love for St. John of Kronstadt."
The parish sisterhood then provided a bountiful luncheon in honor of
His Grace and their guests.
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