On Friday, April 7 – the great feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos – Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York celebrated the festal Divine Liturgy in honor of the patronal feast of Holy Annunciation Church in Flushing, NY. The First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad was met at the entrance to the church by parish rector Archpriest Ion Arama with a bouquet of flowers, while warden Yury Polonsky presented the hierarch with bread and salt.

His Eminence was co-served by Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of Long Island & the Hudson Valley), Fr. Ion Arama, Archpriest Igor Tarasov (rector of St. George Patriarchal Church in Bayside, NY), Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov; abbot of Holy Protection Skete in Buena, NJ), Deacons Vladimir Barros and Serguei Mikhailov (clerics of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY), and Deacon Matthew Keil (parish cleric).

That day, many parishioners communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of the service, Metropolitan Hilarion delivered a sermon on the subject of the feast, congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the occasion of their patronal feast day, and expressed his joy that, after much renovation work, the church is now being filled with new parishioners. His Eminence also congratulated the clergy who had been ordained to the diaconate or priesthood on this feast day throughout the years. The Metropolitan presented commemorative icons to a number of parishioners who had labored over the last several years in renovating and adorning the church.

All then proceeded to a festal luncheon, during which the clergy was joined by the rector of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY, Archpriest Serafim Gan, who came to congratulate the rector and parishioners with their patronal feast.