The Eastern American Diocesan Council held its quarterly meeting on Friday, February 3, in a remote, online format. Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York opened the meeting and, after a prayer, welcomed the Council members.

His Eminence commented on the prayerfulness of the holidays of Christ’s Nativity and the Theophany of the Lord, and stressed the need for the clergy and faithful of our Diocese to continue praying for peace and supporting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev & All Ukraine. The Metropolitan noted that the faithful in Ukraine are living under extremely difficult conditions, and while we have our pre-Lenten celebrations, bliny, etc. in the coming weeks, he instructed that these events should be sober, tempered by the knowledge of our brothers and sisters suffering in Ukraine.

The Council heard reports from the legal and financial committees, the media office liaison, and the diocesan treasurer, and reviewed a variety of operational and financial matters related to diocesan procedures and protocols for the upcoming Diocesan Assembly, which will take place in the late spring.

The Council set the dates of the Lenten Retreats for 2023, with the Northern Lenten Retreat being held at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY from Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd of March, and the Southern Lenten Retreat at St. Mary of Egypt Church in Roswell, GA from Monday the 3rd through Wednesday the 5th of April.

Additionally, the Council heard reports about life in the deaneries, which included a presentation from Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine on the visitation to the Florida Deanery by Metropolitan Nicholas with the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

The meeting ended with Metropolitan Nicholas noting the good work of the Council, encouraging the Council to continue its work prayerfully, and wishing the members a spiritually profitable Great Lent.

The Diocesan Council scheduled its next meeting for Friday, April 28, 2023.