With the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York and Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco & Western American, on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th of March, the Sunday of the Cross, Bishop Irenei of Sacramento – vicar of the Western American Diocese – visited St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ, where he led the divine services.
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On Friday, March 24, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan led the Sacrament of Holy Unction in Holy Archangel Michael Cathedral in Paterson, NJ. His Grace was co-served by Archpriests Mark Burachek (rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ), George Zelenin (cathedral rector), Boris Slootsky and Seraphim Chemodakov...
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On Sunday, March 19, the Sunday of the Cross, Archpriest Serafim Gan (rector of St. Seraphim Memorial Church to the Re-establishment of Unity within the Russian Church in Sea Cliff, NY) celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, and on the evening before, led the All-Night Vigil with the bringing out of the Cross. He was joined by Protodeacon Paul Wolkow (parish cleric) and Deacon Andrei Psarev, professor at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY, who is also a member of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church.
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On Wednesday, March 22 – the feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste – the Lenten Retreat for clergy of the Eastern American Diocese concluded with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The divine services, as well as the Retreat’s lectures and discussions, took place under the aegis of two wonderworking icons of the Mother of God, a special blessing for all of the participants: the Kursk Root Icon, and the myrrh-streaming Icon "Softener of Evil Hearts."
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On Tuesday, March 21, the Lenten Retreat for clergy of the Eastern American Diocese continued at the Diocesan Center at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ. Retreat participants – which also included matushkas, as well as clergy from the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA – gathered in the cathedral to greet the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, and two wonderworking icons of the Mother of God.
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On Saturday evening, March 18, the eve of the third Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of the Cross, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan accompanied the myrrh-streaming Icon of the Mother of God "Softener of Evil Hearts" to the Synodal Headquarters in New York City, where he was met by the senior priest of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, Archpriest Andrei Sommer. The All-Night Vigil was then served. At the service, after the Great Doxology, the hierarch performed the bringing out of the Life-Creating Cross...
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On Friday, March 17, the Icon of the Mother of God "Softener of Evil Hearts" arrived at St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY, where – in accordance with local tradition – a joint Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was served, in which the clergy, choir, and parishioners of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY took part.
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On Monday evening, March 20, the annual Lenten Retreat for clergy of the Eastern American Diocese convened in the Diocesan Center at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ. Clergy from virtually every state in the Diocese, including its two biggest monasteries – Holy Trinity and Holy Cross – were in attendance.
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On Wednesday, March 15, the myrrh-streaming Icon of the Mother of God "Softener of Evil Hearts," currently traveling the Eastern American Diocese from Moscow, visited St. Michael’s Cathedral in Paterson, NJ. Despite the morning weekday service and a large snowfall, roughly three dozen parishioners braved the blizzard to lift up their prayers to the Mother of God.
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The Lenten Pastoral Retreat of the Eastern American Diocese, which will be held on March 20-22, 2017 at St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, New Jersey, will feature a lecture by Archpriest Peter Heers on the "Great and Holy Council" of the Orthodox Church, which took place in Crete in June 2016. Fr. Peter’s talk is sure to be of interest to all Orthodox Christians, especially to the Church’s pastors.
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On March 12, the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent – the Sunday of the Holy Hierarch Gregory Palamas – Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Grace was co-served by the cathedral’s senior priest, Archpriest Andrei Sommer, Hieromonk Nikolai (Letsin), and Protodeacon Vadim Gan (cathedral clerics). That Lenten Sunday, parishioners communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.
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On March 12, the second Sunday of Great Lent, His Grace, Bishop Jerome, led the Sacrament of Holy Unction in St. John the Forerunner Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to the start of the service, Bishop Jerome spoke to the faithful about the meaning and importance for Christians of the Sacrament of Holy Unction. Many people from across Brooklyn gathered for the service that day.
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On March 12, the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent – the Sunday of the Holy Hierarch Gregory Palamas – the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, paid an archpastoral visit to St. Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT, where he celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
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On Friday, March 10, the myrrh-streaming Icon of the Mother of God "Softener of Evil Hearts" arrived in New York City from Moscow. The icon and its guardian were greeted by Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan. With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, the Icon will remain in the Eastern American Diocese until April 19.
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On March 5, the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and led the Rite of Orthodoxy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. A multitude of cathedral parishioners and faithful from other New York parishes came to pray at the divine service. Marking the end of the first week of Great Lent, many of them communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.
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On Thursday, March 2, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, accompanying the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, visited Our Lady of Tikhvin Church at the Diocesan Center in Howell, NJ, where he led Great Compline with the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. Praying at the service were the clergy and a multitude of parishioners.
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On Wednesday, March 1, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan paid an archpastoral visit to the Church of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple in Stratford, CT, and there led the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. The service took place under the aegis of the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora – the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, which traveled with His Grace from New York City.
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On February, Pure Monday of the First Week of Great Lent, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, prayed in the altar during the usual divine services in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. Matins, Hours, Typica, Vespers, and a Litiya for the Departed were served.
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Online registration for the 2017 Lenten Retreat for clergy of the Eastern American Diocese has opened on the diocesan website. With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, the retreat will be held at the Diocesan Center at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ this March 20-22.