On Thursday the 11th and Friday the 12th of September, on the patronal feast of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York paid an archpastoral visit to the parish to officiate the celebrations in honor of the Translation of the Relics of the Holy Right-Believing Great Prince Alexander Nevsky. The Metropolitan brought with him for veneration by the faithful the main holy icon of the Russian Diaspora – the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

Also arriving to share in the solemn divine service with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad was Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada, and the following day, Bishop Kliment of Levski (Bulgarian Orthodox Church) and Bishop Jerome (Shaw) arrived at the church for Liturgy.

Before the All-Night Vigil, to the peal of bells, the clergy triumphally greeted the Kursk Root Icon and the myrrh-streaming Iveron "Hawaiian" Icon of the Mother of God, which was accompanied by its guardian – the rector of the eponymous church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Hawaii – Priest Nectarios Yangson. The icons were placed on specially prepared and decorated analogia next to the icon of St. Alexander Nevsky, containing a particle of his relics.

A multitude of believers from other states of the country came to the church to pray at the festal services and to venerate the miraculous icons.

On Friday morning, before Liturgy, the clergy greeted Metropolitan Nicholas. Cathedral rector Archpriest Serge Lukianov addressed the First Hierarch with words of welcome and a request for their joint prayers. Concelebrating with the hierarchs were cathedral and visiting clergy:

• Archpriest Vasily Andrejuk (cathedral cleric)
• Archpriest Peter Perekrestov (dean of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, CA)
• Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk; rector of Our Lady of Pochaev Church in Port North, FL)
• Archimandrite Gabriel (Pigarev; dean of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (cathedral rector)
• Archpriest Petre Kruashvili (rector of the Georgian Church of St. Gregory of Khandzta in Manville, NJ)
• Archpriest Ljubo Milosevic (rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Vineland, NJ)
• Archpriest Zoran Radovic (rector of St. George Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ)
• Archpriest David Strout (rector of St. Elizabeth Church in Rocky Hill, NJ)
• Archpriest Peter Totev (cleric of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church)
• Archpriest Dionysius Nalitov (rector of St. Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT)
• Archpriest Peter Kunitsky (cleric of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church)
• Archpriest Boris Slootsky (cathedral cleric)
• Archpriest Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of the Church of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" in Staten Island, NY)
• Archpriest Pau Ivanov (rector of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Abbot Arseny (Manko; cleric of the Mid-American Diocese)
• Archpriest Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church in New Brunswick, NJ)
• Archpriest Serge Ledkovsky (deputy rector of the St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ)
• Archpriest Nikolai Manduke (cleric of St. Vladimir Memorial Church)
• Priest Eugene Antonov (rector of Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in Cumming, GA)
• Priest Anthony Williams (cathedral cleric)
• Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk; cleric of Our Lady of Pochaev Church)
• Priest Anatoly Revitskyy (diocesan cleric)
• Priest Nectarios Yangson (rector of the Church of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Kailua, HI)
• Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski (cathedral cleric)
• Protodeacon Alexandre Sarandinaki (cathedral cleric)
• Protodeacon Alexey Pnev (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY)
• Hierodeacon Paisius (Alexeevets; cleric of Our Lady of Pochaev Church)
• Deacon Alexander Khartoniuk (cleric of Our Lady of Pochaev Church), and
• Deacon Dumitru Lişan (cathedral cleric).

The parish male choir under the direction of Alexandra Lukianov sang during at Vigil, while the parish mixed choir sang under the direction of Andrei Roudenko at Liturgy.

After Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the faithful with a sermon, in which he noted, in part, how important it is to always remember the words "wondrous is God in His saints" and to be, like St. Alexander Nevsky, faithful to God, to imitate his life, to keep purity in our hearts, and to establish peace within our families and throughout the world.

A moleben was then served, and the clergy and faithful went in procession around the cathedral.

Fr. Serge Lukianov thanked the hierarchs and clergy for their shared service. On behalf of the cathedral, Metropolitan Nicholas was presented a set of golden vestments, Archbishop Gabriel – a cross and panagia, and Bishops Kliment and Jerome – icons of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, painted by cathedral Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski.

On behalf of the parish, the rector also presented an icon of St. Alexander Nevsky with an inscription to the brethren of Our Lady of Pochaev Monastery in North Port, FL.

An icon of Venerable Herman of Alaska with a piece of the saint’s relics was presented to Fr. Peter Perekrestov.

On behalf of the parish, Metropolitan Nicholas was presented with a check for $25,000 for the repair of the Synodal Headquarters in New York City. Father Serge expressed his hope that other parishes will follow the example of the clergy and parishioners of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and make their contribution to this much-needed, God-pleasing work.

Among the namesday celebrants, cathedral Protodeacon Alexandre Sarandinaki was congratulated and presented with a gift. The protodeacons intoned the Polychronion to the hierarchs, cathedral clergy, and namesday celebrants.

All were then invited to a festal meal in the renovated church hall, where the fraternal interaction of the clergy and parishioners continued and the film "The Fragrance of Holiness" about the Holy Hierarch John of Shanghai was shown. The movie was presented by its creator – the dean of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, Fr. Peter Perekrestov, the author of numerous books and publications about the life and spiritual labors of St. John.