On Wednesday, October 8, the feast of the repose of Venerable Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh and Wonderworker of All Russia, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in honor of the patronal feast of St. Sergius Church in the building of the Synod of Bishops in New York City.

Concelebrating with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad were Bishop Kliment of Levski (vicar of the Bulgarian Diocese in the USA, Canada & Australia), Archpriests Emilian Pocinoc (cleric of the Western European Diocese), Elias Gorsky (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY), Serafim Gan (chancellor of the Synod of Bishops), Mark Burachek (rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ), Andrei Sommer (dean of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign), Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" Church in Staten Island, NY), and Ion Arama (rector of Holy Annunciation Church in Flushing, NY), Abbot Zosimas (Krampis; rector of St. Sergius Church), Protodeacons Paul Wolkow (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY), Serge Arlievsky (cathedral cleric), and Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Church), and Deacon Nicholas Ilyin (cleric of Holy Protection Church in Nyack).

The service was held under the aegis of the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora – the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

The Synodal choir sang prayerfully at Liturgy under the direction of conductor Vadim S. Gan.

Almost all the parishioners and guests who prayed at the feast communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Following the service, Metropolitan Nicholas and the clergy served a short moleben before the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

His Eminence greeted the clergy and faithful with the feast, thanked Bishop Kliment for their shared prayer, invited him to visit churches in the Russian Diaspora whenever possible, and presented him with a panagia depicting the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God as a memento of their first meeting in the Holy Land near Jerusalem.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Nicholas called on the faithful to emulate St. Sergius, who acquired the fruit of the Spirit: joy, peace, temperance, meekness, and longsuffering, as well as other deeply revered saints who acquired the Holy Spirit, whose icons are  found in the church: Righteous John of Kronstadt, Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, the Holy Hierarch John of Shanghai & San Francisco, the Holy Nun-Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna, the Holy Hierarch Luke of Crimea, and the New Martyrs.

Metropolitan Nicholas congratulated cathedral Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky and Synodal Cathedral warden Sergei Yakushin on their namesday. The Polychronion was intoned for all those also celebrating their namesday.

His Eminence announced that Fr. Emilian will accompany the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God on a pilgrimage to the Western European and London Dioceses. The icon will return to its home in New York in time for its feast day in December. In memory of his visit to the cathedral, Metropolitan Nicholas presented Fr. Emilian with a commemorative cross, and asked for his prayers.

In the cathedral hall, the sisterhood organized a festal meal for the clergy, guests, and parishioners, during which all continued their fellowship.