On Thursday, April 2, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York visited Holy Protection Church in Nyack, NY to officiate the funeral of Deacon Andrei Antchoutine (cleric of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY), who reposed in the Lord suddenly on Monday, March 30.

Before the start of the funeral service, His Eminence expressed his condolences to the family of the newly departed. He drew parallels to the pain and sorrow currently beset by all gathered to that of Righteous Martha and Mary weeping over Lazarus, whose resurrection by Christ will be commemorated in the coming days. Metropolitan Nicholas touched on the devotion to the Church, his family, and overall exuberance that Deacon Andrei lived in his life.

His Eminence was concelebrated by:

• Archimandrite Elevferiy (Skiba; dean of Our Lady "The Inexhaustible Chalice" Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Elias Gorsky (parish rector)
• Archpriest Serafim Gan (chancellor of the Synod of Bishops)
• Archpriest Andrei Sommer (dean of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City)
• Abbot Nicodemus (Balyasnikov; acting chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA)
• Archpriest Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Our Lady Unexpected Joy Church on Staten Island, NY)
• Archpriest Yaroslav Lutoschin
• Archpriest Constantine Semyanko (rector of Presentation of the Lord Church in Stratford, CT)
• Archpriest Paul Ivanov (rector of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn)
• Archpriest George Temidis (secretary of the diocesan administration)
• Priest Artem Siss (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY)
• Protodeacon Paul Wolkow (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY)
• Protodeacon Dimitri Temidis (cleric of St. Elizabeth the New-Martyr Church in Columbia, SC)
• Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Church)
• Protodeacon Serguei Mikhailov (cleric of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY)
• Protodeacon Alexey Pnev (cleric of Novo-Diveevo Convent)
• Deacon Nicholas Ilyin (parish cleric), and
• Deacon Stefan Stoyanov (cleric of St. Panteleimon Skete in Coconut Creek, FL).

Praying in the church was a host of diocesan and visiting clergy.

The choir sang with magnificent compunction under the direction of the departed’s younger brother, Reader Peter Antchoutine.

The church was filled to capacity, with many standing outside and in the parish hall.

Before the conclusion of the funeral, the father of the reposed, Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of New York City & Long Island) delivered a profound eulogy.

Following the Last Kiss, Deacon Andrei was escorted in procession to Novo-Diveevo Convent, where he was interred alongside his maternal grandfather, Archpriest Alexey Ohotin (+2013). A memorial repast was held in the parish hall of Holy Protection Church.

The editors of the diocesan website express their sincere condolences to Matushka Nataliya and the entire Antchoutine family.

Memory Eternal to the newly reposed Deacon Andrei!