February 24, 2015
Columbia, SC: Bishop George performs Farewell Visit to St. Elizabeth Church

 

On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of February, on the great feast of the Meeting of the Lord and the Sunday of the Dread Judgment, His Grace, Bishop George, performed his last archpastoral visit to St. Elizabeth the New-Martyr Church in Columbia, SC as Bishop of Mayfield. His Grace was recently appointed to be the Bishop of Canberra, vicar of the Australian & New Zealand Diocese. Coming to Columbia directly after a two-week trip to Russia and the Ukraine, Bishop George led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy.

 

At Liturgy, His Grace was co-served by rector Archpriest Mark Mancuso, Archpriest Alexander Logunov (rector of the Church of the Reigning Mother of God in Charlotte, NC), parish Deacon Columba Wilson, and Deacon Jeremiah Davis (cleric of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV). During the Little Entrance, Fr. Mark was awarded the palitsa in recognition of his priestly care for the parish and his work for the Eastern American Diocese.

 

Upon completion of the Liturgy, the parish presented Bishop George with a beautiful velvet eagle rug (orletz) in gratitude for his kindness over the past seven years of his episcopacy, and offered well-wishes for his newly assigned see in Australia.

 

The festal Meatfare meal was served by the parish brotherhood, after which His Grace gave an informal talk about his life on Mount Athos and his associations with the newly glorified Saint Paisios. In addition, he answered questions from the faithful about everything from book recommendations, the prayer life, and confession, to the current events transpiring in the Ukraine.

 

Before his departure, some of the young girls of the parish presented Bishop George with small bouquets of roses.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese