December 22, 2015
Brooklyn, NY: On Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos, Bishop Peter of Cleveland celebrates Liturgy in St. John the Baptist Cathedral

On Friday, December 4, the great feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Grace Peter, Bishop of Cleveland and Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America, celebrated the festal Divine Liturgy in St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY. His Grace was co-served by Bishop Roman of Rubtsovsk & Aleysk, as well as Archpriest Alexander Belya (Dean of New York City and cathedral rector), Archpriest George Kallaur (rector of the Church of our Lady "Unexpected Joy" on Staten Island, NY), Archpriest Alexis Duncan (rector of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Albany, NY), Protodeacon John Bots (cleric of the Australian & New Zealand Diocese), and Deacon Dionysius Lvov (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City).

Despite the fact that the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos fell on a workday, it was joyous to see many parishioners in attendance at the service.

On behalf of His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, upon completion of Liturgy, Bishop Roman presented Bishop Peter with the Patriarchal Award of the "700th Anniversary of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh."

Concluding the remarks, Fr. Alexander thanked the archpastors for the prayers they had lifted up, and recalled the days they had spent praying together in the native land of the Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt during the jubilee celebrations in his honor (2015 marks the 25th anniversary of St. John’s glorification by the Russian Orthodox Church; the glorification of the Priest of Kronstadt by the Church Abroad took place in 1964). The rector also congratulated all those present on the occasion of the feast and wished them the aid of God and His Most Holy Mother.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese