On February 10, the Sunday of the Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion paid an archpastoral visit to their eponymous church in Brooklyn, NY and celebrated Divine Liturgy in honor of the parish’s patronal feast day. His Eminence was greeted by the clergy, with the warden presenting the traditional bread and salt. Parish rector Archpriest Serge Lukianov lovingly greeted Metropolitan Hilarion and invited him to prayerfully mark the patronal feast with the clergy and parishioners.

Concelebrating with Metropolitan Hilarion at Liturgy were Fr. Serge, Archpriests Boris Oparin (rector of St. Joasaph of Belgorod Church in Brooklyn) and Petro Kunitsky (parish cleric), Abbot Tikhon (Gayfudinov; abbot of Holy Protection Skete in Buena, NJ), Priest George Kaplanov and Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski (clerics of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ), Protodeacon Petr Utkin (parish cleric), and Deacon Michael Pavuk (cleric of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Mayfield, PA).

A wonderworking copy of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

Many local parishioners, including the rector and faithful of St. Joasaph Church, came to pay homage to the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian land. Almost all of those present received Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the clergy and faithful with the patronal feast and, in his sermon, spoke on the struggles of the New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia. Touching on their fate, His Eminence drew attention to the book of Revelation, where the Holy Apostle John the Theologian writes of the martyrs who "are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night."

Metropolitan Hilarion called on the faithful to remain steadfast in their Faith, to not waver, to be attentive to one’s soul, to keep before oneself the example of the New Martyrs’ fidelity to the Faith of Christ and to speedily approach them for help, asking them to strengthen us in the Orthodox Faith.

The rector then congratulated the Metropolitan with his jubilee award, which was presented to him in Moscow by Patriarch Kyrill , thanking him, the clergy, and parishioners for the joy of their prayerful interaction, appealing to all to live together as one, in peace and standing firm in the canonical Orthodox Church.

The parish sisterhood organized a festal banquet, where a raffle was held with many grand prizes.

Afterward, once all of the believers were able to pray before the Pochaev Icon, the holy image left the parish, first for Pennsylvania, then ultimately to the monastery. Fr. Serge thanked Fr. Michael and Matushka Maria Pavuk for their labors in bringing the icon from the monastery to the parish.