October 10, 2012
“The Eastern American
Diocese - the Vineyard that the Lord has given us to cultivate.”
Met. Hilarion delivered the State of the Diocese Address
Your
Graces, Reverend Fathers, distinguished delegates to the Diocesan
Assembly,
I greet you with the same words with which our Savior greeted His
Apostles after His Resurrection:
"Peace be unto you" (John 20:19). We have gathered here today
to analyze the current state of our Diocese and to determine a
course for our future. First and foremost, let us offer up our
praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ, for
giving us His Holy Church and the lifesaving sacraments through
which we receive the Holy Spirit. The Lord has placed us in His
Vineyard, not because of our accomplishments or good works, but
because He is All-Merciful, and His love for us is neverending. "God
is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in
him" (1 John 4:16). The outcome of our future will be solely
dependent on the love that we have for God and each other. As the
world around us descends into iniquity, "the love of many shall wax
cold" (Matthew 24:12), and as representatives of the Church, we are
at the forefront of a battle for the salvation of every soul.
Before we can begin to worry about the administrative aspects of the
Church, we must firmly understand our responsibility before the
people. We are called to be servants in the House of the Lord,
"which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the
truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). If we approach this Assembly with a
contrite heart and a spirit of meekness, then the Lord will continue
to bless and preserve our Diocese.
Restructuring the Diocesan Administration
In order to properly assess the current state of our Diocese, we
must begin by looking back to 2009, when the last Diocesan Assembly
was held. At that time, our Diocese was in an uncertain state,
because we recently suffered the loss of our beloved First Hierarch,
the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus. With my enthronement as
First Hierarch, the Synodal and diocesan administrations went
through a transition period. In that time, Bishop Gabriel was
appointed ruling bishop of the Canadian Diocese, and we consecrated
two new vicar bishops for the Eastern American Diocese – Their
Graces, Bishops George of Mayfield and Jerome of Manhattan.
The 2009 Diocesan Assembly was a pivotal point in the life of our
Diocese, because it was the beginning of an intensive administrative
overhaul, the fruitful results of which we see around us today. I
tasked the newly elected members of the Diocesan Council to
restructure the administration and move the diocesan center from New
York City to Howell, NJ. For over a decade, the diocesan center was
based out of the Synodal Headquarters; this created many logistical
problems, because diocesan affairs were often mixed together with
those of the Synod. The administration has been much more efficient
since moving to Howell.
The primary goals of the long-term agenda laid out for the Diocesan
Council in 2009 were to:
-
Create a diocesan office that would assist the ruling bishop
in managing the day-to-day operations of the Diocese;
-
Create a Media Office to manage diocesan communications
through a new, bilingual website;
-
Establish a treasury office and formulate a diocesan
financial policy for parish assessments;
-
Organize conferences, programs, and initiatives for the
benefit of uniting the diocesan clergy and faithful;
-
Make diocesan clergy and full-time parish employees eligible
for a healthcare plan;
-
Conduct regular meetings and carry out any other special
tasks as delegated by the ruling bishop.
Because of my several and varying responsibilities in the Synod and
the Australian Diocese, I rely heavily on the assistance of my vicar
bishops and administration to fulfill this agenda.
The new administration began with $25,000 in the checking account,
and it was not possible to build a physical center. Salaries had to
be paid for bishops and staff, and the Diocese was in no position to
offer health benefits, living expenses, or a proper office for any
employees. By God’s mercy, Bishop Jerome and I are able to live in
the Synodal headquarters, and Bishop George resides at Holy Cross
Monastery, arrangements that allowed the Diocese significantly lower
operating expenses. All diocesan staff members work out of their own
homes, and dedicating their time and efforts to the needs of the
Diocese, very often working overtime ‒ for less than minimum wage.
Despite all of these challenges, members of the Council and diocesan
administration were able to create an infrastructure system that
allowed us to fulfill the agenda that was laid out in 2009. We are
now able to employ three full-time bishops, a secretary, a
treasurer, and three media office staffers, who also work as
administrative assistants.
The tasks associated with the daily operation of the diocesan center
are too numerous to list. Staff members fulfill various tasks from
the bishops, maintain clergy and parish files and databases,
distribute directives and official communications, address the
inquiries and concerns of clergy and parishioners, operate the Media
Office, maintain diocesan archives, organize pastoral conferences,
oversee diocesan organizations, perform parish visits, and much
more.
This new administration was organized in accordance with the by-laws
of ROCOR and the traditions of our Diocese. Unlike other
jurisdictions, Council and administration members do not possess any
authority unless it is given to them expressly by the ruling bishop.
This is the tradition of the Orthodox Church, and it is precisely
why we have been able to maintain peace in our Diocese. Living in
the 21st century, we may be tempted to think that the
Church and Her canons must evolve, similar to the way that
technology evolves. But this is a temptation that must be avoided at
all costs. I am eternally grateful to the dedicated clergy and staff
of our administration for preserving peace and harmony in our
Diocese, by always being mindful of the directives of the hierarchy.
The accomplishments of the administration in the past three years
are truly remarkable, considering the extremely limited funds that
were available. The total amount of funds spent by the Eastern
American Diocese in three years is less than what similar Orthodox
Dioceses spend in one year. To this day, we do not have a physical
diocesan center, and yet people are working from different states
and even time zones to keep the Diocese functioning properly.
Finances
Today we will hear a report from our treasurer about the financial
situation in the Diocese, and as with any organization, finances can
become a source of contention and temptation. I have spoken to some
of the clergy in the past, who voiced their concerns over the lack
of a budget in the years since 2009. This issue was addressed many
times by the Diocesan Council, but it was impossible to create a
yearly budget, because no one could anticipate the real costs of
operating such a large diocese after the administrative
reorganization. Before 2009, we did not have three bishops, a
full-time administration, diocesan center, media office, and so
forth. Therefore, we had no historical precedent on which to base a
budget for the future. We did not expect the Diocese to evolve as
quickly as it did, and budget numbers would regularly change as we
struggled to find a balanced approach to funding all of our
operations. Beginning with this Assembly, a yearly budget will be
voted upon during the Lenten clergy retreats.
A significant change in our diocesan structure came with the
creation of a treasury office and financial policy. The main
function of the treasurer is to ensure that the 10% assessments are
received from all parishes in a timely manner. We have established
regular communication between the parishes and the treasury, which
has led to a steady increase in parish payments to the Diocese.
Despite all of this, there are still some parishes that refuse to
send in their assessments or communicate with the treasurers. We are
one large Orthodox family and, as clergymen, we are familiar with
the teachings of the Church concerning tithes. We understand how
difficult it is for parishes to make ends meet, especially in these
difficult economic times, but ignoring the inquiries of the
hierarchy and administration cannot be tolerated. If your parish is
experiencing extraordinarily difficult financial problems, then you
must petition for a forbearance after having provided the necessary
documentation. We are all members of the Orthodox Church, and
compassion and mercy are at the heart of our faith. Parishes with
legitimate concerns are given full attention and maximum relief in
order to assist them in difficult times. However, it is unlawful and
sinful for a rector or parish council to grant themselves a
forbearance without approval from the administration. I beseech our
delinquent parishes to make every effort to correct their status for
the overall good of our diocese. Please do not assume that your
parish is too small to make a difference – we are a family and our
actions impact everyone around us. Even $100 per month makes a
difference, when it comes to paying salaries for our bishops and
staff. Anytime a payment is made to the Diocese, it is a direct
investment into the future of our Church, because without those
funds, the Church would not be able to function effectively. Every
project or venture that is undertaken by the diocesan administration
is for the benefit of the entire Diocese.
Thankfully, the majority of our parishes are in compliance with the
diocesan financial policy, and for this they must be commended. We
understand how difficult it is for rectors to motivate parishioners
to support the Church financially. In our Church Abroad, there is
almost an expectation that priests must work secular jobs and
parishes should be impoverished. This negative mentality is
something we are trying to change, but it will take years to
accomplish. If we continue to work together and support each other,
our Diocese will flourish, and we will accomplish much more in the
next three years.
Our auditing committee has also been very active in the last three
years, performing regular audits of all diocesan bank accounts and
financial records. Glory be to God, for three years the Diocese has
passed every audit successfully. The committee has also prepared a
report with many helpful suggestions on how we can improve the
financial situations of the parishes through good bookkeeping. I am
sincerely grateful to everyone who has worked for the treasury and
auditing committee over the last three years for their dedication
and exemplary work.
Media Office
As we continued to restructure the administration, we understood
that there was great need for communication between the
administration and the parishes. The creation of the first ever
Eastern American Diocesan website was just the beginning of a long
process to expand our outreach on the Internet. We live in a time
when most people use the Internet as their primary source of
communication and information, and for this reason we have been
putting a great emphasis on diocesan media over the past three
years.
We created the Media Office in 2009 to coordinate all of our
communication and public relation activity for the purpose of
uniting the Diocese. We now have a strong presence on the Internet
through our website ‒ which is updated on a daily basis ‒ and on
social networks. While some of us, like me, may not be too familiar
with such social networks as Facebook and Twitter, we know that our
young people spend a great deal of time socializing there. It is our
duty to reach out to our flock wherever they may be, to combat all
of the temptations and unhealthy material on the Internet with
information and materials about the Orthodox faith. Our website and
video program are not merely means for reporting news, but are
valuable tools we can use to deliver our message to the flock.
As one of the most active departments in our Diocese, the Media
Office has been a source of inspiration and admiration for all of
us. I would like to express my gratitude to the dedicated men and
women who often work long hours behind the scenes to maintain our
media operation.
Unifying the Diocese
One of our greatest challenges since 2009 has been to develop
programs and events that unite our clergy and parishes. We are
blessed to have the largest diocese in the Russian Church Abroad,
but this blessing comes with many responsibilities. Council members
have successfully organized seven pastoral conferences in the past
three years, not only for the clergy, but for matushkas, as well.
Pastoral conferences are a time for clergy and matushkas to come
together in a spirit of brotherly love, to share their experiences
and learn from each other. The importance of these conferences
cannot be overstated.
I would like to take a moment to thank the distinguished members of
the Board of Directors of the Fund for Assistance to ROCOR. The FFA
has issued over $65,000 to the Diocese to help cover the travel and
registration costs of our clergy so that we can attract the maximum
number of attendees. Without their help, we would never have been
able to organize so many successful conferences in such a short
period of time.
Seeing the immense success of the conferences, in 2010 we launched
the Pastoral Resources Program (or PRP) with the goal of providing
continuing education courses for our clergy outside of the
conferences. With the assistance of our Media Office, a proposal was
made to the FFA in 2011 to help sponsor the Pastoral Resources
Program in 2012, so there would be no additional financial burden on
the administration or the parishes. Once again, the Fund for
Assistance generously approved a $44,000 grant to purchase equipment
and cover the production costs of the PRP. Thanks to their
generosity, our pastors can now watch educational video lectures and
programs on the diocesan website from the comfort of their own
homes. God willing, the FFA will continue to sponsor this program in
2013, so that this valuable work can continue for the benefit not
only of diocesan clergy, but of clergy around the world, who will
view these lectures online.
Aside from continuing education programs, in 2010 and 2011, a
visitation tour of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God was
organized to the vast of majority of our parishes, especially in the
South. Before 2010, we still had many parishes in our Diocese that
had never had the opportunity to host our most sacred Icon. In two
years, the icon visited over 120 parishes of all canonical Orthodox
jurisdictions located within the borders of our Diocese. This
visitation not only united our parishes, but spiritually fortified
the thousands of people who came to venerate the Mother of God.
Often times, we get swept up in the cares and temptations of this
world, and our flock can start to grow distant from the Church. By
bringing the Mother of God to our parishes, we reminded ourselves
and our people of the importance of the Mother of God’s intercession
on our behalf before the throne of her Son. With God’s help, the
icon will continue to travel extensively throughout our Diocese in
the coming years.
Youth
When we think about the future of our Diocese and the important work
we need to accomplish together, our thoughts immediately go to our
young people. They are the future of our Church and their
involvement in the Diocese is critical to ensure that we have a
solid foundation for future generations. We have a number of
organizations in our Diocese that are doing truly fantastic work
with young people, and for this they must be commended. Among them
are:
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St. Seraphim’s Orthodox Youth Camp;
-
St. Herman’s Youth Conference;
-
St. George Pathfinders Camp (ORUR);
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The Association of Russian Explorers Outside of Russia
(NORR); and our own
-
Diocesan Youth Choir
We are also blessed with a large number of parish schools in our
Diocese. These institutions are vital to our future, because they
are places where children and young people can gather under the
auspices of the Holy Church. No matter if your parish school has 100
students or ten, every child that is raised in an Orthodox
environment will start his or her life on a firm Orthodox
foundation. Our summer camps continue the education of our children
by providing them a place in the outdoors, where they can spend time
with Orthodox peers and form lifetime friendships. We are also
fortunate to have the Volunteers in Mission (or VIM) Program, which
was started by the Diocese in 2010 with the goal of gathering young
people to volunteer their time on work projects at parishes and
monasteries. This work continued outside the borders of our Diocese,
when a group from St. Seraphim’s Camp traveled to Russian to help
restore the Tikhvin Monastery.
The fruits of our labors with the youth are clearly visible in
organizations such as the Diocesan Youth Choir. A group of young
people gathered at St. Herman’s Conference and discussed different
ways to gather outside of camps and conferences to socialize and
sing praises to God. For three years, they have traveled our
Diocese, singing services and concerts and attracting other young
people to join them in this praiseworthy endeavor.
Glory be to God, all of these institutions are growing every year,
and it is thanks to the dedicated clergy, men, and women who
sacrifice their personal time to nurture and care for our children
and young people. You have heeded the words of our Savior when He
said: "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name,
receiveth me" (Mark 9:37). Your works will be greatly rewarded in
heaven, and our entire Diocese remains eternally grateful to you.
Music
The Russian Orthodox Church has a rich tradition of liturgical
singing that has been passed down through the generations by our
ancestors who came to this country. Our choirs sing many of the same
melodies and liturgical hymns that have been sung in Russia for
centuries, and continue to be sung today. I am grateful to the many
different choirs and musical organizations that continue to preserve
our traditions and pass them on to the younger generations. The
Eastern American Diocesan Music Commission, the Holy Myrrhbearers
Women’s Choir, the Diocesan Youth Choir, the Holy Trinity Seminary
Choir, the St. Romanos the Melodist Society, and many more should be
commended.
I would also like to take a moment and thank all of the choir
singers in our Diocese. No matter how large or how small your choir
may be, every person who sings for the glory of God is helping the
prayers of thousands of people who come into our churches to pray.
Choir members are almost never paid, and they sacrifice their time
and vacation days so that the services in our parishes may be
well-pleasing to the Lord.
The English choirs that are struggling to preserve the Russian
tradition of singing must work incredibly hard to find and learn the
English equivalents to many of the musical pieces that we take for
granted. This is the same for those choirs who sing the services in
French or Spanish. Our Diocese is made up of many different
nationalities, and it is important for our services to cater to the
needs of our parishioners. When a clergyman or choir singer try to
learn even a small portion of the service in a language that it not
native to them, but will be understood by the faithful who are
praying, they are performing a labor of love. I would like to
express my gratitude to Archpriest George and Matushka Deborah
Johnson for the enormous work they have done translating the Church
Singer’s Companion for use by English-language choirs.
The Church Singer’s Companion can be downloaded in its entirety on
the diocesan website. This is a wonderful example of what parishes
can accomplish in collaborating with the Diocese.
Future
Taking into consideration where we were and how far we have come in
the past three years, we must first and foremost thank and glorify
our Lord and Savior, Who has bestowed so many bountiful blessings on
our Eastern American Diocese. As we learn from the successes and
failures of our past, we must recommit ourselves to working together
more diligently in the future. The past three years were a
transition phase, and we are now equipped to properly handle the
challenges of the future. What are some of the areas that we need to
work over the next three years?
1. Reinforce the diocesan departments and organizations.
The youth committee, music commission, Volunteers in Mission (VIM)
program, and Pastoral Resources Program (PRP) are just a few of the
programs and organizations that need our support. Three years ago,
these initiatives began with bold ideas, but over time, there have
been challenges that prevented them from reaching their full
potential. The only way to continue these programs is to have more
people step forward and actively participate in the Diocese.
Participation can happen on all different levels, including, but not
limited to – gathering volunteers for a VIM project, hosting a PRP
lecture or event in your parish, organizing youth events and
pilgrimages to monasteries, and hosting fundraising events for
various diocesan programs.
2. Missionary Work.
Our Savior commanded us to go into the world and "preach the gospel
to every creature" (Mark 16:15), so that the world might know Christ
and be saved through Him. As Orthodox Christians, especially
clergymen, we have an obligation to heed these words and act upon
them every day of our lives. Unfortunately, as a Diocese, we are not
doing enough to spread the Orthodox faith in America. Our parishes
need to become missionary centers with open doors to anyone who is
in search of Christ. The best way for us to become better
missionaries is to become better Christians. We must love our
neighbors and interact with the world in such a way that people will
want to flock to the Church to receive a portion of the light that
burns within us. "By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). If we spend
each day trying to increase the love in our hearts toward those
around us, our churches will be full, and our Diocese will soar to
spiritual heights.
3. Gathering more frequently and in larger numbers for prayer.
Since the earliest days of our Diocese, our bishops have always
gathered the faithful several times a year for pilgrimages and
spiritual celebrations such as the Labor Day pilgrimage to
Jordanville, St. Vladimir’s Day in Jackson, and pilgrimages to the
New Kursk Root Hermitage and Novo-Diveevo. They understood that,
when gathering together in prayer, Orthodox Christians become
spiritually reinforced to better face the temptations of the world.
In those days, the faithful were united in their prayers for the
salvation of Holy Russia, and monuments, such as St. Vladimir
Memorial, bear witness to the testament and resolve of our
ancestors. Now that communism has collapsed and Holy Russia is
rising from the ashes, we must reanalyze the role of the Russian
Church Abroad and the purpose of our traditional pilgrimages and
celebrations. We must fortify our Church through missionary work and
the preservation of our youth. For that reason, we need pilgrimages
and large-scale spiritual celebrations more than ever. Now is the
time to introduce our children, converts, and catechumens to our
holy monasteries, so that they might see the fullness of the
Orthodox Christian spiritual life, and be inspired in their personal
struggles. We must gather our people as often as possible to bear
witness to our faith, and at the same time to support our holy
monasteries, which form the spiritual bedrock of our life and work
in the Church.
In the olden days, parishes would visit monasteries by the busload,
and people would base their holidays and vacation schedules around
the church calendar so as not to miss an opportunity for pilgrimage.
Returning to these traditions is no easy task, but it begins when
the clergy start to inspire the faithful to come together. It is
understandable that some people cannot afford to take several days
off for a pilgrimage, but that should be no reason to deprive them
of unity with their fellow Orthodox Christians. Gather a few local
parishes to cancel services on an appointed day and meet in a
centrally located church for joint services.
One shining example of this brotherly concelebration is the annual
joint Liturgy of the Carolinas at Cheraw Park, when the five
parishes in North and South Carolina cancel Sunday services and
gather in the outdoors to life up their prayers in worship to God,
partake of the Holy Mysteries, and form a base of mutual support for
one another in a land often hostile to the practice of living an
Orthodox life. Let the people come together and see their clergy
serving together. Show them "how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133). This type of
interaction will bring our Diocese closer together and our youth
will remember these traditions for years to come. Indeed, our
strength is in our unity!
Next year will mark the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Holy
Russia. It will also mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of
St. Vladimir Memorial Church, a temple dedicated to the father of
Russian Christianity, our Great Prince Vladimir, and one of the
spiritual centers of the entire Church Abroad. On Sunday, July 28,
we intend to repeat the triumphal celebrations of the Millennium of
Russian Christianity held in 1988, with a diocesan celebration at
St. Vladimir’s Mount. A local committee has already been
established, and is working on organizing this momentous event. I am
asking that all of you begin to make plans to participate, with as
many pilgrims from your parishes as possible, that we might show the
whole world that Orthodoxy remains vibrant and united as we move
into the future. This event will unite the members of our Diocese,
and the youth will remember and keep this tradition for years to
come. Our strength is in our unity!
4. Increasing benevolence.
There are many mission parishes and clergy in our Diocese that are
less fortunate – often greatly so – than others. We have parishes in
the Caribbean, especially in Haiti, where thousands of people live
in impoverished conditions, but nonetheless the churches are full
and the missions continue to grow. Some of these churches have only
a roof, with no walls to protect the faithful from the elements
during the services. We have clergy throughout the Diocese who
struggle to feed their families and are forced to work two or even
three jobs ‒ aside from their priestly duties! We have widowed
matushkas, who far too often are forgotten soon after the repose of
their husbands and are left with little to no income. One of our
goals for the future is to increase our benevolent work and to offer
more care for the less fortunate in our Diocese. The quickest way to
help the needy is to support the benevolent structures that are
already in place, mainly the Fund for Assistance to ROCOR. In the
past three years, the FFA has distributed close to one million
dollars in financial aid to various programs, missions, monasteries,
and clergy in the Eastern American Diocese. We have an obligation to
increase our support to the FFA and educate our faithful on the
importance of assisting the needy, especially in times of financial
crisis when charitable contributions suffer most. When receiving
financial appeals from the diocese, FFA, or other ROCOR charitable
funds, please make every effort to give these matters maximum
attention. Our Church is small, and we will only survive if we unite
in our efforts to support each other and especially the needy.
5. Increasing outreach.
In the years since our reunification with the Moscow Patriarchate,
our Church has been given many unprecedented and formerly impossible
opportunities to interact with other canonical Orthodox
jurisdictions with which we share a common nation and mission. The
work of the Canonical Assembly of Bishops is only an overview of the
work that has been done and that remains to be done. As His
Eminence, Archbishop Justinian said last year at the Triumph of
Orthodox service, "[Orthodox] unity will not be realized in
high-placed offices, but… in our Orthodox churches." ROCOR has much
to offer our Orthodox brothers and sisters in the form of our
traditional practices, in the basics of liturgical singing and
serving, fasting, and adherence to the Old Calendar, as well as in
the many relics, icons, and saints that have blossomed forth and
come to define ROCOR’s very existence ‒ many members of other
jurisdictions have praised the traditional worldview that ROCOR
represents at Assembly meetings. It is not enough for us to treasure
this tradition; as Orthodoxy in America grows closer and more
intimate, we must be prepared to justify our own practices, and
promote them as the best possible alternative.
Conclusion
Having reviewed the events and progress made of the past three
years, we can describe the overall the state of our Diocese as
peaceful. Through God’s abundant mercy, we are growing not only in
size, but most importantly – we are growing spiritually. In a world
shrouded in darkness and temptation, we are able to find peace in
the Vineyard that the Lord has given us to cultivate – the Eastern
American Diocese. As clergy and representatives of the Church, we
must preserve that peace by bearing witness to Christ – "the true
Light, Which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John
1:9). The faithful, and especially the youth, are under attack by
dark forces that seek to destroy all that is good and sacred in this
world. We are bombarded by anti-Christian and immoral messages, all
the while seeing how those around us are blind to the devastating
attacks on the Church. But for us Christians, we have no other path
besides preserving faithfulness to our Lord and Savior during these
frightful times of worldwide apostasy. Despite what may happen in
the world, whatever catastrophes may occur, let us always remember
that "God is with us!" And if "God is with us," then we have nothing
to fear, "for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
In closing, I would like to thank my vicar Bishops George and Jerome
for assisting me in fulfilling my archpastoral duties and tending to
the flock that has been entrusted to us by God. I thank all of the
members of the Diocesan Council and staff of the diocesan
administration for doing a remarkable job in reorganizing the
administration and managing the day-to-day affairs of the Diocese. I
am especially grateful to the Lord for our dedicated and faithful
clergy. Without priests and parishes, we would have no Diocese. Our
clergy are some of the hardest-working clerics in America, because
most of them work multiple jobs to support their families, and still
manage to give themselves entirely over to the flock for the service
of the Church. Your love, your dedication, and your steadfast faith
are well-pleasing to the Lord, and greatly appreciated by all the
faithful. I would also like to thank our matushkas, for standing
beside their husbands and helping them in their ministry. Matushkas
often work long hours behind the scenes tending to various needs of
the parish, and they are vital to the prosperity of our Church.
We must be especially grateful to the Lord for our flock. We all
entered on the path of service to the Church for one reason only –
to save souls and help people attain eternal salvation. A pastor is
nothing without his flock, and everything that we do in our parishes
must be done with great love for the people. If we strive every
single day to love our neighbors and live a virtuous Christian life,
then we will acquire the Holy Spirit, and in the words of the Great
Russian ascetic, St. Seraphim of Sarov, "thousands around us will be
saved." May the blessing of the Lord be upon all of you.
Thank you.
HILARION
Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York
First Hierarch of the
Russian Church Abroad
Holy Virgin Protection Church, Nyack, NY
October 10, 2012
Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese
