On Thursday, October 16, St. Dionysios the Areopagite Monastery in St. James, NY celebrated its patronal feast day. The brotherhood and parishioners welcomed His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, who arrived to officiate the divine services.

Concelebrating with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad at Liturgy were: Hieromonk Vasileios (Willard; monastery abbot), Abbots Silouan (Justiniano) and Zosimas (Krampis; monastery clerics), Priest Photie Erdman (rector of the Chapel of the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus in Morris, NY), Protodeacons Pavel Wolkow and Eugene Kallaur (clerics of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY), and Deacon Laurence Powell (cleric of Monastery of the Glorious Ascension in Resaca, GA).

After the Great Entrance, His Eminence ordained Deacon Laurence to the priesthood. The newly ordained Priest Laurence will continue his service at Glorious Ascension Monastery.

Upon conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas invoked a prayer to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, and then delivered a sermon on the life of the monastery’s Heavenly patron and its meaning for us in these modern times.