June 24, 2014
Franklin, NY: Metropolitan Hilarion Performs Liturgy and Diaconal Ordination at St. Innocent Center

On Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st of June, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, visited St. Innocent’s Retreat Center in Franklin, NY. Also visiting the Center were monks from Holy Cross Brotherhood in East Setauket, NY, led by the abbot, Archimandrite Maximos (Weimar), Hieromonk Zosimas (Krampis), Hieromonk Silouan (Justiniano), and Hierodeacon Parthenios (Miller), as well as Monk Dionysios (Hutcher).

On Friday evening, Vespers were served in the Center’s Holy Trinity Church, followed by a dinner being offered to guests and parishioners. The following morning, Divine Liturgy was celebrated, during which the Metropolitan was co-served by Archimandrite Maximos, the rector, Priest Michael Vladimirov, Hieromonk Silouan, Hieromonk Tikhon, and Hierodeacon Parthenios. At the Sixth Hour, parishioner Photius Erdman was tonsured a reader, while after the Eucharistic Canon, Monk Dionysios was ordained to the diaconate. The newly ordained Hierodeacon Dionysios will fulfill his serve at Holy Cross Brotherhood.

Upon completion of the Liturgy, His Eminence delivered a sermon, and expressed his pleasure at the Center’s work and the condition of the church, as well as his gratitude for the warm reception shown to him. After the service, interaction continued over a bountiful luncheon.

In time for the Metropolitan’s arrival, four new icons were installed in the church’s iconostasis (the Savior, the Theotokos, Holy Hierarch Innocent of Alaska, and Righteous John of Kronstadt), the result of two years’ work only recently completed by Hieromonk Silouan.

St. Innocent's Retreat Center was built in 2011. The small church (485 sq. feet) was consecrated by Metropolitan Hilarion in honor of the Holy and Life-Creating Trinity on July 5, 2011. The goal behind the Center’s founding is the catechization of those faithful who have only recently joined the Orthodox Church. It is with this goal in mind that they are invited to visit the Center on weekends, where they can take part in the divine services as readers, altar servers, and singers. For a majority of visitors, this kind of participation in the services is completely new. During their visits to the Center, people can also find answers to many of their questions about Orthodox teachings, the order of the divine services, and Orthodox traditions regarding raising a family.

Local residents also attend the church. The number of regular parishioners is currently about 12 individuals. The divine services in the church are performed regularly on Saturdays, Sundays, and feast days.

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