February 18, 2014
Stratford, CT: Patronal Feast Day of Presentation Church led by Metropolitan Hilarion

On Wednesday, February 15, the great feast of the Meeting of the Lord, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, paid an Archpastoral visit to Stratford, CT and led the patronal feast day of the Church of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

At the Divine Liturgy, the Metropolitan was co-served by parish rector Archpriest Andrei Semyanko, Archpriest Theodore Shevzov (cleric of neighboring St. Nicholas Church in Stratford), Archpriest George Lardas (rector of St. Nicholas Church in Stratford), Archpriest Brendan Crowley (rector of St. Nicholas Church in West Springfield, MA), Archpriest Constantine Semyanko (parish cleric), Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov; cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City), Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY), and Deacon George Temidis (cleric of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY).

At the Little Entrance, for his many years of service to Christ’s Holy Church and in honor of the 40th anniversary of his ordination, Archpriest Theodore Shevzov was awarded the miter.

The editors of the official website of the Eastern American Diocese sincerely congratulate Fr. Theodore on his upcoming 85th birthday, his 40th anniversary as a clergyman, and on the occasion of his receiving the miter!

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"Eastern American Diocese www.eadiocese.org."

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese