KIEV: February 5, 2019
Clergymen of the Russian Church Abroad concelebrate with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry

On Sunday, February 3, 2019, the feast day of SS Maxim the Confessor and Maxim the Greek, two clergymen of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Protopriest Victor Potapov, Rector of St John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC, and Protopriest Sergei Lukianov, Senior Priest of St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ, , concelebrated with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine at Divine Liturgy at the Trapeza Church of the Kievan Lavra of the Caves. The reverend fathers came to the capital of Ukraine to venerate the holy relics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and express to His Beatitude, the archpastors, pastors and believers of the canonical Church their support in these difficult times.

His Beatitude received the clerics in his working residence on the territory of the monastery. Metropolitan Onouphry had a paternal discussion with them and their delegation, telling them about the current situation in Ukraine. The priests passed along the love of the archpastors, pastors and flock of the Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR, wishing him good health, boldness of spirit and Divine aid in his difficult primatial service to the true Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the people of God.

Earlier, during a prayer services and pastoral and lay gathering in one of the towns of Vinnitsa oblast, Fr Sergei, given the opportunity to speak, expressed support for the canonical Church. Thank God, the believers of the town managed to maintain the church and its parish within the bosom of the true Church.

Fr Victor and Fr Sergei returned home early the following week.