NEW YORK: May 23, 2019
Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan officiates at Divine Liturgy on the feast of the Translation of the Relics of St Nicholas of Myra

On May 22, 2019, the feast of Mid-Pentecost and also of the Translation of the Relics of St Nicholas of Myra to Bari, Divine Liturgy was celebrated at St Nicholas Cathedral in New York City by His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, at the invitation of His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Acting Administator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. Vladyka Nicholas was joined by the cathedral’s clergymen and by Senior Priest of the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign,” Protopriest Andrei Sommer.

During the service, prayers were lifted for unity within the Orthodox Church and the preservation of the Church from divisions and schisms. After the augmented litany, the hierarch read a prayer for peace in Ukraine. Prayers were also said for the repose of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Laurus (Shkurla) of blessed memory, the primates who signed the Act of Canonical Communion between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate on May 17, 2007.

After Holy Communion, Bishop Nicholas and the clergymen performed a moleben service and laudation before an icon of St Nicholas.

After the service, Vladyka Nicholas addressed the clergymen and parishioners and congratulated them on the “minor” feast day of the cathedral. Protopriest Alexander Golubov expressed the heartfelt welcome from Bishop Matthew, reminding him that the first joint service of clergymen of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and the Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR took place in the cathedral on this day 12 years earlier. Fr Alexander expressed his gratitude to Vladyka Nicholas for the joy of common prayer on this holiday.

Services concluded with the singing of Many Years to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, Bishop Matthew and Bishop Nicholas, and to all the faithful flock of the unified Russian Orthodox Church.

A festive trapeza luncheon was then offered to all the clergymen and worshipers.

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