July 22, 2014
New York City: Metropolitan Hilarion takes part in 700th Anniversary
Celebrations in Honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh in St. Nicholas
Patriarchal Cathedral
On
Sunday, July 20, 2014, celebrations in honor of the 700th
Anniversary of the birth of St. Sergius of Radonezh were held at St.
Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City, presided over by
His Beatitude Tikhon, Metropolitan of All America & Canada, Primate
of the Orthodox Church in America. His Beatitude was co-served by
Their Eminences, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New
York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, and Archbishop
Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes
in the USA. The hierarchs were co-served by Patriarchal, ROCOR, and
OCA clergy.
Upon completion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Tikhon and
concelebrating clergy served a short moleben before a wonderworking
icon of St. Sergius, after which Archbishop Justinian addressed a
word of greeting to Metropolitan Tikhon and Hilarion, saying, in
part:
"There is a good practice in the Orthodox Church ‒ when, in one of
Her Local Churches, the glorification of one or another saint takes
place, his name and life are communicated to the Sister Churches.
The practice bears witness to the unity of Christ’s Church, which
fulfills Her salvific mission throughout the entire world. Hereby do
we proclaim that the saints of one or another Local Church are our
shared inheritance.
"The memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh that we now celebrate has
summed to Russia representatives from all of the Orthodox Churches.
His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow & All Russia, led a grand
procession from the monastery in Khotkovo to the Venerable One’s own
habitation, as tens of thousands of pilgrims ‒ clergy and laity ‒
followed in the footsteps of their Primate. With the blessing of
Your Beatitude and Your Eminence, representatives of the Orthodox
Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
have taken part in the celebrations at Holy Trinity-St. Sergius
Lavra.
And now you, distinguished hierarchs, have answered His Holiness,
Patriarch Kyrill’s, call and blessing to lead the celebrations in
honor of St. Sergius here – in the Patriarch Cathedral of the USA.
It is not so much the significance of the celebrated date ‒ 700
years since the birth of the Abbot of the Russian Land ‒ as it is
the truly international, pan-Orthodox love being poured out in
memory of St. Sergius that has made this feast triumphal,
prayerfully touching, and sincere."
On behalf of the clergy and parishioners of St. Nicholas Patriarchal
Cathedral and in honor of the celebratory joint services, Archbishop
Justinian presented to his honored guests moiré fabric for sewing a
Metropolitan’s mantle (or mantia), complete with white-and-red
stripes and the initial tablets. In turn, Metropolitan Tikhon
presented Metropolitan Hilarion and Archbishop Justinian icons of
the Holy Hierarch Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia, and Paschal eggs
decorated with an icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Interaction between the hierarchs, clergy, and parishioners
continued at a festal luncheon in the cathedral hall.
Photos courtesy of:
www.mospatusa.com
www.mospatusa.com
