On Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th of August, the great feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, His Grace, Bishop Jerome (Shaw), officiated the divine services in Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY.

His Grace officiated the festal divine services, co-served by Hermitage clerics: rector Archpriest George Temidis and Deacons Konstantin Aleshin and Theodotus Conrad. Divine Liturgy was celebrated according to the hierarchal rite, with a full greeting of the bishop prior to the start of the service.

In his sermon, Bishop Jerome spoke of the momentous historic events that took place on the same date as the feast in 1991, when an attempt in Russia to overthrow Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev led to the fall of communism there, and everywhere in Europe and even in Ethiopia. Thus, the Lord prepares a transfiguration for each of us.

Liturgy concluded with the traditional blessing of grapes and fruit, and Fr. George sprinkled each of the worshippers with holy water as they came up to kiss the cross.