The Services of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus

photo-report

On April 7, on the holiday of the Annunciation of the Most-Holy Mother of God, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus performed Divine Liturgy in St Nicholas Cathedral in Caracas along with the Cathedral's Rector, Protopriest Pavel Volkov, Hieromonk Nicholas (Perekrestov) and Protodeacon Victor Lochmatov. At the end of service, His Eminence addressed the parishioners with a sermon on the holiday.

It is worth noting that Venezuela was graced with the labors of St John (Maximovich, +1966), the heavenly protector of the Russian diaspora, who had served Divine Liturgy here many times and performed the laying of the foundation of the churches in Caracas and Valencia. St John would often visit and lend support to his relatives, spiritual children and acquaintances from Shanghai, who had settled and established church life here. The brother and sister of St John are buried at the local cemetery.

On the Saturday following the holiday, His Eminence Vladyka prayed at the Church of the Sign in Valencia during the memorial Divine Liturgy performed by Hieromonk Nicholas and Protodeacon Victor Lochmatov. At the end of Liturgy, His Eminence performed a pannikhida along with the aforementioned clergymen and offered the cross for veneration, then shared the trapeza with the parishioners at the church. The following morning, on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, His Eminence performed Divine Liturgy in Caracas. On April 10, 2005, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus departed, while Hieromonk Nicholas remained in Valencia to continue to serve at the Church of the Sign until Pascha.

Yesterday, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia himself informed the Editors of the official website of the Synod of Bishops that GG Rudnev, who had warmly welcomed His Eminence in Venezuela and had done a great deal to benefit Russian Orthodox Christians in Caracas and Valencia, and was a great church activist, died unexpectedly at the beginning of the week. The funeral and burial will be held in Caracas. His Eminence expresses profound empathy to the relatives and friends of the reposed and to the children of the Russian Church Abroad in Venezuela.

On Wednesday of the fifth week of Great Lent, His Eminence Vladyka, after returning from Venezuela, read the great canon of St Andrew of Crete and the life of St Mary of Egypt at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. The festive divine services of the Laudation of the Most-Holy Mother of God and of the fifth week of Great Lent are being performed by His Eminence along with His Grace Bishop Michael of Boston and the monastic clergymen. On Sunday, after the monastery trapeza, His Grace Bishop Michael told of his trip throughout the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate as he accompanied the relics of SS Elizaveta and Varvara.

On the eve of Lazarus Saturday, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus will perform monastic tonsures at the Monastery Cathedral, and on Saturday, His Eminence will pray at Divine Liturgy, during which the newly-tonsured monks will partake of the Holy Gifts. Following this, His Eminence will head for Albany, where he will perform the minor consecration of the newly-built Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church.

The services of Palm Sunday will be performed by His Eminence at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York.