January 20, 2012
Sea Cliff, NY: Bishop
Jerome Celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Seraphim Church on the
occasion of its Minor Patronal Feast Day
On
Saturday, January 14, on the eve of the winter feast of St.
Seraphim, the rector of
St.
Seraphim of Sarov Church in Sea Cliff, NY, Archpriest Serafim
Gan, served the All-Night Vigil, co-served by parish clerics:
Protodeacon Paul Wolkow and Deacon Eugene Kallaur. A reception was
then held in the rector’s residence on the occasion of the
continuing holy days of Christmas, the New Year, and the upcoming
feast of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Sixty parishioners attended the
reception, having been at the Vigil that evening, as well as Priest
Alexandre Antchoutine, who arrived after completing the divine
services in Holy Virgin Protection Church in nearby Glen Cove.
The following morning, on the feast of the
repose of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the parish’s minor patronal feast
day, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Jerome of
Manhattan, celebrated the Divine Liturgy there, co-served by parish
rector Archpriest Serafim, Protodeacon Paul, Deacon Eugene, and
Deacon Nathan Mousselli (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the
Sign). The parish choir sang joyously under the direction of N.M.
Miro. During the Small Entrance, Fr. Serafim was awarded the jeweled
cross for selfless service to Christ’s Holy Church.
Upon completion of the divine services, a
moleben was served before the parish’s icon of St. Seraphim with his
relics, after which Bishop Jerome blessed the newly completed
iconography in the church’s dome. Prior to the veneration of the
cross, with the blessing of the President of the Synod of Bishops,
longtime parishioners M.S. and A.N. Ryl were awarded the Synodal
Order of the Sign, 2nd Class. In gratitude for his many years of
service to the ROCOR Synod of Bishops, Fr. Serafim was presented
with a jeweled cross.
A video of Bishop Jerome’s sermon will be
uploaded to the parish website in the near future.
During the festal luncheon, organized by
the parish sisterhood under the leadership of E.M. Mikheev,
greetings were delivered by Bishop Jerome, Archpriest Leonid
Kishkovsky (Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations
Orthodox Church in America), and the rector.
The clergy and parishioners hope soon to
begin completing the iconography in the main portion of the church –
from the narthex to the dome, were the entirety of the Russian
Church’s 1000-year history will be depicted: from the Baptism of Rus
to the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion in Moscow, which
will complete the great fresco. The Holy Apostle Andrew the
First-Called (in honor of parishioner Andrei Gevorgian, who was
killed in the Lockerbie bombing), the Holy Equals-of-the-Apostles
Vladimir & Olga, Sts. Cyril & Methodius, the saints of Kievan and
Muscovite Rus, the saints of the Synodal period, His Holiness,
Patriarch Tikhon, the New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia, and the
saints of the Russian Diaspora – all of these holy God-pleasers will
be depicted on the backdrop of great events in our shared history
and more famous churches and holy sites of the Motherland and the
Diaspora. God willing, parishioners anticipate the completion of
work on the iconostasis and other projects in the church.
Republication of materials must include a reference to:
"Eastern American Diocese www.eadiocese.org."
Media
Office of the Eastern American Diocese
