October 12, 2013
Howell, NJ: Feast Day of St. Sergius of Radonezh Celebrated by
Clergy from New York & New Jersey Deaneries in St. George’s Church
On
Tuesday, October 8, clergy from the deaneries of New York City and
New Jersey prayerfully celebrated the feast day of Venerable Sergius
of Radonezh in
St. George’s Church
in Howell, NJ. The All-Night Vigil was served on the eve of the
feast; the following morning, before the start of Liturgy, an
akathist was served to the Abbot of All Russia, Venerable Sergius,
Wonderworker of Radonezh.
The divine services were led by New Jersey dean Protopresbyter
Valery Lukianov, co-served by the deans of New England and New York
City ‒ Archpriest George Larin and Archpriest Alexander Belya,
respectively, as well as:
- Archpriest Paul
Shafran (pastor emeritus of St. Vladimir’s OCA Church in Trenton,
NJ)
- parish rector Archpriest Serge Lukianov
- Archpriest Boris Oparin (rector of St. Joasaph of Belgorod
Church in Brooklyn, NY)
- Archpriest George Zelenin (rector of
St. Michael’s Church in Paterson, NJ)
- parish cleric Archpriest
Boris Slootsky
- Archpriest Zoran Radovic (rector of St. George’s
Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ)
- Priest Seraphim Chemodakov
(cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell)
- Priest
Valery Sukholobov (rector of Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in
Philadelphia, PA)
- Priest Constantine Gavrilkin (cleric of Holy
New Martyrs of Russia Church in Brooklyn)
- parish clerics
Protodeacon Leonid Roschko and Deacon Michael Wengrin
Also praying in church was Archdeacon Eugene Burbelo.
Upon completion of the Liturgy, Fr. Valery addressed the faithful
with a sermon on the life and ascetical struggles of St. Sergius of
Radonezh:
"We venerated our Father Sergius, prayed to him, asked his
intercession. But that was not all. Truly he was not named abbot of
all Russia because of his wonderful attributes, or because he
performed miracles? Truly that was not the only reason why he was
found worthy of so exalted a title – abbot of all Russia? There had
to be something entirely special, Christian, supernatural, that
bestowed this name upon him. And now we see that this high calling
can be summed up in three words, which defined his entire life: he
had, above all else, above his accomplishments, above all of the
struggles along his monastic path ‒ faith, humility, and hard work,
laboriousness… Each of us must understand that, without these three
traits, which are encompassed by love for God and man, we can do
absolutely nothing in any facet of our life – neither in the
spiritual, nor in the ecclesiastical, nor in social, nor in the
familial. This is the most important thing."
The concelebrating clergy congratulated Fr. Serge on the occasion of
the feast day of his Heavenly intercessor, wishing him God’s help in
his labors on behalf of Christ’s Church.
After the service, a festal luncheon was served, during which all
were able to continue their interaction.
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