On Bright Saturday, April 14, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan paid an archpastoral visit to Holy Annunciation Church in Flushing, NY, where he celebrated Divine Liturgy. A hierarchal service is usually scheduled each year for the parish’s patronal feast day – April 7. But since the feast of the Annunciation coincided this year with Great Saturday, the bishops were unable to attend, and Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York gave his blessing to transfer the feast to the following weekend.

 

Bishop Nicholas led the Paschal services, co-served by Archimandrite Maximos (Weimar; abbot of St. Dionysios Monastery in St. James, NY), Archpriests Andrei Sommer (senior priest of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City), Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of Long Island & the Hudson Valley), Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church in New Brunswick, NJ), and Ion Arama (parish rector), Priest George Temidis (deputy rector of the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY), Hieromonk Silouan (Justiniao; cleric of St. Dionysios Monastery), Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral) and Dionysius Lvov, and parish Deacon Matthew Keil.

 

At the Little Entrance, with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion and for his diligent labors on behalf of the parish, Fr. Matthew was awarded the right to wear the double orarion.

 

Bishop Nicholas delivered the sermon, underscoring the significance of attending the church services, and encouraged the faithful to do all in their power to support their parish. His Grace lauded the parishioners for their work in adorning the house of God for the feast.

 

Fr. Ion greeted the diocesan vicar and thanked him for his archpastoral visit and shared prayers.

 

After the service, a festal luncheon was served in the parish hall, where the clergy and faithful continued their informal interaction with their distinguished guest.