May 17, 2012
Jordanville, NY: The Celebration of the Fifth Anniversary of the Reunification of ROCOR and MP began with the Panihida for Patriarch Alexey II and Metropolitan Laurus

On Wednesday, May 16, on the threshold of the fifth anniversary of the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate, with the blessing of His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, and ROCOR’s First Hierarch, Metropolitan Hilarion, a panihida was served for Patriarch Alexey II and Metropolitan Laurus at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

The service was led by the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes, Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, who was co-served by Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishops George of Mayfield and Jerome of Manhattan, as well as many clergy from the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and the Russian Church Abroad.

Prayerfully present at the service were the brethren of Holy Trinity Monastery, led by the abbot, Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), the professors and students of Jordanville’s Theological Seminary, and a multitude of pilgrims.

Upon completion of the panihida, Eastern American Diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov read aloud a greeting to the participants of the joint prayer service for the repose of Patriarch Alexey II and Metropolitan Laurus from the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion, which read in part: "On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Reunification, I greet you at the tomb of our beloved Metropolitan Laurus with the words of our Savior ‒ peace be unto you! So too did Metropolitan Laurus greet Patriarch Alexey and all those who gathered for the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion on May 17, 2007. ‘The peace that the Church transmits to us is the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the power and activity of the Holy Spirit,’ said Metropolitan Laurus. ‘Acquiring Christ’s peace in the realization of a Christian path in life is considered on par with such virtues as faith and love. Faith is the foundation of a Christian life; love is its pinnacle.’

"Today, commemorating and praying for the repose of Patriarch Alexey II and Metropolitan Laurus, we remember these words. Our Primates of blessed repose were able to unite the Church thanks to their faith in Christ and a sincere love for their flock – the Russian people dwelling in the homeland and in the diaspora. Their firm faith allowed them to overcome many years of division; they put their hope in the Lord, and with love and faith reunited the longsuffering Russian Church.

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank His Eminence, Archbishop Justinian, the Vicar Bishops George and Jerome, and all of the clergy and faithful who came from afar to commemorate our departed spiritual instructors. I am especially grateful to the Abbot, Father Luke, and the brethren of Holy Trinity Monastery for their stalwart preservation of Metropolitan Laurus’ memory and legacy. His Eminence spent a great portion of his life within the walls of this holy habitation, and it was here that he zealously prayed for the salvation of his beloved homeland, which rejoices today thanks to his brave undertaking. May the Lord grant rest to the souls of His faithful servants, Patriarch Alexey and Metropolitan Laurus, and may their memory be for us and for future generation proof that a life in Christ is a life in peace, a life that leads us to the eternal Pascha – the Kingdom of Heaven."

Archbishop Justinian then addressed those gathered. In his greeting, His Eminence called to remembrance the history of the origins of the Church Abroad, and the reasons for the tragic division of the Russian Church. "Robbed of a free existence within Her homeland, the persecuted Russian Orthodox Church was martyred by the godless regime, but abroad, the Church also experienced political pressure from political circles within the Russian Diaspora. The dissensions that led to this tragic division were finally overcome when the Russian Church both in the homeland and in the Diaspora was freed from political influence foreign to Her, when we obtained our coveted freedom and real, long-awaited unity in Christ."

Upon completion of the service, the interaction between archpastors and the clergy continued over a brotherly luncheon.

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Photos and video: Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese
Article: www.ruschurchusa.org