On Thursday, May 1, the German Diocese solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of clerical service (ordination to the diaconate and priesthood), as well as monastic tonsure of His Eminence Mark, Metropolitan of Berlin & Germany. The celebrations were officiated by His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, accompanied by the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

On the morning of May 1, the First Hierarch was solemnly greeted in the Cathedral of the Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia in Munich and vested on the cathedra. On this jubilee day, Metropolitan Nicholas celebrated Divine Liturgy, co-served by: Their Eminences Metropolitan Mark; Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro & the Littoral (Serbian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Seraphim of Germany, Central & Northern Europe (Romanian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Gregory of Düsseldorf & All Germany (Serbian Orthodox Church); and Archbishop Tikhon of Ruza (administrator of the Diocese of Berlin & Germany of the Moscow Patriarchate); and Their Graces: Bishop Irenei of London & Western Europe; Bishop Job of Stuttgart; and Bishop Alexander (Echevarria). The archpastors were joined by 50 priests, among whom was Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, and 13 deacons.

Praying in the church on this day were Abbess Elizabeth, abbess of the Gethsemane Monastery of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene; Abbess Maria, abbess of the Convent in Buchendorf; and Nun Maria, administrator of the Orthodox School in Bethany.

At Liturgy, cathedral dean Archpriest Nikolai Artemov was awarded the right to celebrate Liturgy with open Royal Doors until the Cherubic Hymn.

At the end of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas presented Metropolitan Mark with a gramota from the Synod of Bishops, which was read aloud by cathedral Protodeacon Bartholomew Bazanov. The bishops conveyed words of congratulations and gifts of remembrance to His Eminence. The Polychronion was intoned to all of the concelebrants.

The interaction of the archpastors, clergy, and worshippers continued at a luncheon.

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Photos: Daniel Diewald