On Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of April, the feast of Venerable Mary of Egypt, His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, paid an archpastoral visit to St. Mary of Egypt Church in Roswell (Atlanta), GA, and led the divine services on the occasion of its patronal feast day.

Co-serving with the vicar of the Eastern American Diocese were: Archimandrite John (Townsend; parish rector), parish clerics: Hieromonks Alexander (Lisnichuk) and Gabriel (Davis), Priests Daniel Iliev and Mikhail Beliakov, Deacons Jude Rountree and Peter Epstein, and Hierodeacon Alexei (Smith), as well as Archpriest George Alexson (retired cleric of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), Protodeacon Andrei Psarev (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY), and Deacon Lev Opie (cleric of St. Nicholas Church in Palm Coast, FL).

During the Hours, parishioner David Matthews was tonsured a reader. After the readers’ tonsure, Reader Eugene Yukin from St. Mary’s parish was elevated to the rank of subdeacon.

After Liturgy, the traditional luncheon was held in the parish hall, where parishioners had the chance to get to know the visiting clergy and other guests closer.