On Friday, June 24, when the Holy Church honors the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God and celebrate the memory of the Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas, Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, and a panihida served for the 40th day of the repose of Metropolitan Hilarion, ever-memorable First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

Celebrating Liturgy in the monastery’s main cathedral was His Grace Luke, Bishop of Manhattan, co-served by monastery and visiting clergy:

• Archimandrite Nektarios (Harding; monastery cleric)
• Archimandrite Siluan (Lembei ; cleric of Three Hierarchs Church in Hollywood, FL)
• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (dean of New Jersey)
• Archpriest Serge Kotar (monastery cleric)
• Archpriest Constantine Semyanko (rector of Holy Presentation Church in Stratford, CT)
• Archpriest Paul Ivanov (rector of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Hieromonk Gabriel (Astrahankine; monastery cleric)
• Priest John Boddecker (monastery cleric)
• Priest Daniel Franzen (cleric of the Mid-American Diocese)
• Hieromonk Theodore (Stanway; monastery cleric)
• Protodeacon Paul Wolkow (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY)
• Protodeacon Peter Markevich (monastery cleric)
• Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; monastery cleric)
• Deacon Fiodor Tulbur (cleric of Holy Myrrhbearers Church), and
• Hierodeacon Paisios (Levakov; monastery cleric).

The monastery choir sang under the direction of Hieromonk Anatoly (Zilin). The service was calm, quiet, and in keeping with strict monastery rubrics.

All of the monastery brethren and the sisters from the two nearby convents gathered at the service. A contingent of pilgrims from Three Hierarchs Church joined Fr. Siluan in flying up from Florida to honor the memory of the reposed Metropolitan and to pray in church. A group also came from Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn along with Fr. Paul. Most of the faithful communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Fr. Serge Lukianov addressed the gathered faithful with a sermon:

"We have gathered together today to glory our Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas, who preached the Word of God throughout the world. We have also gathered to honor the memory of a contemporary apostle and hierarch: the newly departed Metropolitan Hilarion. For many of us, Vladyka remains in our memories not as a theologian or preacher, but as a man of ‘great heart.’ Vladyka loved everyone, forgave everyone, and never held a grudge. He simply did not have any enemies. Vladyka loved to engage in missionary work. In the nearly 38 years of his hierarchy, Vladyka opened a multitude of parishes and monasteries, and brought thousands of people’s souls to Orthodoxy by his kind, fatherly heart.

"Thank you, our dear Vladyka, for all of your apostolic and hierarchal labors on behalf of the holy Church Abroad. Let us endeavor to follow in your footsteps of compassion and love for all. Amen."

After Liturgy, a panihida was served at Metropolitan Hilarion’s grave, which was adorned with flowers.