On May 11, the 4th Sunday of Pascha, that of the Paralytic, Divine Liturgy in the London Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Holy Royal Martyrs was concelebrated by the First Hierarch f the Russian Church Abroad and the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of ROCOR, who thereby concluded the regular Paschal session of the Synod. Presiding over the Liturgy was the First Hierarch, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, in concelebration with Theirs Eminence, Metropolitan Mark of Berlin & Germany and Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada, and Their Graces, Bishops Irenei of London & Western Europe, Theodosius of Seattle, and Job of Stuttgart.

A special joy for the hierarchs was the concelebration at the Liturgy of His Eminence Silouan, Metropolitan of the British Isles & Ireland of the Antiochian Church, together with the Priest Dmitry Ismagilov and Deacon George Moldoveanu of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

The assembly of ROCOR clergymen co-serving the Hierarchs included Archpriests Serafim Gan (chancellor of the Synod of Bishops), Gregory Joyce (secretary of the Mid-American Diocese), Michael Crowley (dean of New England), Vitaly Serapinas (cleric of the London cathedral), Emilian Pocinok (dean of the Geneva cathedral), Paul Elliott (London diocesan chancellor), Yaroslav Hudymenko, Hieromonk Theodore (clerics of the London cathedral), Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY), Archdeacon Dometian (cleric of the Geneva cathedral), and Deacons Andrei Borisas, Sergei Baranov, and Pavel Lisitsin (clerics of the London cathedral).

Liturgy was preceded by the solemn greeting of the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, Protectress and Guide of the Russian Diaspora, which remained enshrined in the cathedral throughout the service. Following the greeting of the First Hierarch, the faithful cleric of the London cathedral, Reader Valery Beroskin, was ordained subdeacon by the hand of Metropolitan Nicholas, whereafter the full ensemble of hierarchs assembled in the center of the temple for the beginning of Liturgy.

Throughout, the service was beautifully sung by the Bishop’s choir of the cathedral, with Liturgy unfolding in Church Slavonic, English and ‒ thanks to the prayerful presence of Metropolitan Silouan ‒ Arabic.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, the First Hierarch addressed the faithful with a sermon on the Gospel account of the paralytic man, exhorting the faithful to recognize that we are all, at times, in need of help and care ‒ and to be ready to receive this from our neighbors, and even directly from our merciful God Himself.

The protodeacon then intoned the Polychronion for the Holy Synod and all the assembled hierarchy, upon which Metropolitan Nicholas greeted his fellow bishops and the great assembly of clergy and faithful. Bishop Irenei thanked the First Hierarch and Synod members for the blessing of their presence in London, and especially for the opportunity to labor and pray together in the presence of the Kursk Root Icon.

Following the divine services, a festal luncheon was held in the cathedral hall, which spilled over into tables outdoors, taking advantage of beautiful springtime weather. A small poetic and musical performance was given by some of the youngest children of the parish, and all the guests expressed their gratitude for the extraordinary hospitality shown by the cathedral sisterhood of St. Xenia, not only on the day but throughout the week of the Synod’s presence in the British capital.

On Sunday evening, the Hierarchs visited an icon exhibition in central London, and spent a final evening together over supper, before preparing to depart on Monday morning to return to their home dioceses.

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