October 13, 2012
Novo-Diveevo: On the
Second Day of the Joint Pastoral Conference, Metropolitan Hilarion
led the All-Night Vigil in Holy Dormition Convent
On
Friday evening, October 12, participants of the first joint pastoral
conference of clerics of the Eastern American Diocese and the Moscow
Patriarchate gathered in the main St. Seraphim’s Church of
Holy
Virgin Protection Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY, in order
to pray at the All-Night Vigil.
The service was led by the First Hierarch
of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of
Eastern America & New York, co-served by the Administrator of the
Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Eminence Justinian, Archbishop
of Naro-Fominsk, their Graces, Eastern American Diocesan vicar
Bishops George and Jerome, and a multitude of clergy participating
in the conference. Also praying in church was His Eminence Pavel,
Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk, representative of His
Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill at the conference.
Prior
to the start of Vigil, the clergy processed to meet the
myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, after
which they continued to the church for the beginning of service. The
Hawaiian Icon is significant in that, in May of 2007, on the very
day of the Reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Icon’s
guardian, Reader Nectarios Yanson (at that time, he had yet to find
the icon in his home) felt a wonderful, sweet fragrance, which bore
witness to the God-pleasing nature of that which had transpired.
The church was full to capacity, and many
came to venerate the wonderworking image and lift up their prayers
to the Most Holy Mother of God. The service was sung by a combined
choir of singers from St. Tikhon’s Seminary in South Canaan, PA,
Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, and the Eastern American
Diocesan youth choir.
During the Polyeleos, Priest Stephanos Shagoury (rector of St.
Nicholas Church in Endicott, NY) was awarded the gold cross.
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