November 23, 2013
Paterson, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Patronal Feast Day of St. Michael’s Cathedral

On Thursday, November 21, the feast of the Holy Archangel Michael & the Heavenly Bodiless Hosts, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad visited St. Michael the Archangel Church in Paterson, NJ, in order to lead the parish’s patronal feast day. At the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion was co-served by:

- diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov
- Archpriest Mark Burachek (rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ)
- parish rector Archpriest George Zelenin
- Priest Ilya Gun
- Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov; cell attendant to the Metropolitan)
- Priest Vladimir Kaydanov (cleric of St. George’s Church in Howell, NJ)
- Protodeacon Sergei Arlievsky (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo")
- Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; cleric of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy Land)
- Deacon Michael Wengrin (cleric of St. George’s Church in Howell).

Also praying in church was Archpriest Alexander Fedorowski (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo").

During the Sixth Hour, His Eminence tonsured parish altar server Andrei Logvinenko a reader, then ordaining him a subdeacon. At the Augmented Litany, the protodeacon commemorated the ever-memorable Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky), third First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, as well as his parents, Archbishop Dimitry and Lydia, on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of his blessed repose (November 21, 1985). This year, the feast fell on a workday, but the church was nevertheless filled with worshipers, especially children: the faithful communed from two chalices. Upon completion of the Liturgy, a short moleben was served to the holy Angels and Archangels, after which the Metropolitan addressed the faithful with the following words:

"Today the whole Orthodox Church, according to the traditional calendar, celebrates the Commander of the Heavenly Host, the Archangel Michael, "Archstrategist of God," and all the Heavenly Bodiless Hosts. They are invisible to us, but they constantly glorify the Lord God, serving him, praying for us, and protecting us. They are spirits, and as such we often do not see them, but they have an important and real impact on us, and help us. That is why we must strive to become more spiritual, closer to that world. The Angels stand before God’s Throne, and the Savior tells us that they rejoice when a sinner repents and corrects his life. And so, celebrating today the Holy Archangel Michael and all of the Heavenly Hosts, let us strive to repent in our lives and correct ourselves, so that there might be rejoicing in the Heavens, and let us always appeal to them for help, especially to our own Guardian Angel. Let us emulate their lives ‒ we reading the Lives of the Saints that monastics, who have labored spiritually, become "angelic," earthly angels, as a result of the purity of their lives and the fact that they always remained before the Lord here on earth, and were in direct communion with God in constant prayer. I wish all of you, dear fathers, brothers and sisters, the same state, that you might always rejoice and be near to the Lord. This is the whole goal of our lives."

For his 60-year service to the parish, including more than ten years in his capacity as parish warden, a diocesan Gramota was presented to Pavel Krotov, who accepted "on his shoulders all of the cares for the upkeep and order of the entire church property… treating the church with exceptional piety and caring for it as for his own house, and providing his fellow parishioners an example of piety and faithful, unmercenary service to the Holy Church." The protodeacon intoned the Polychronion for the namesday celebrants, parishioners, the new subdeacon, and the honored warden. After the service, a bountiful luncheon was offered in the parish hall, during which congratulatory speeches and greetings were offered.

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