SOUTH AMERICAN DIOCESE: 25 April 2023
Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York leads feast-day celebrations at Resurrection of the Lord Cathedral in Buenos Aires

On Sunday, 23 April, 2023, the day known as Antipascha and St Thomas Sunday, the feast day of Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, who was visiting from New York, bringing the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign,” the main holy relic of the Russian diaspora.

His Eminence was joined by His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America; His Grace Bishop Kirill of Buenos Aires, Central and South America, and His Grace Bishop Leonid of Argentina and South America (Moscow Patriarchate). Also serving were clergymen from the four dioceses.

Both all-night vigil and Liturgy were sung by a combined choir of the two Russian cathedrals in Buenos Aires.

The South American Diocese of ROCOR had awaited such a celebration for many years. The last visit to South America by the Kursk-Root Icon was in 2004, and the last visit by the Primate of the Russian Church Abroad was in 2010.

During the minor entrance at Liturgy, Priest Boris Gladyshev was awarded the right to wear the nabedrennik and kamilavka.

His Eminence gave the South American Diocese a gift of an exact replica of the Kursk Icon painted in the city of Kursk, Russia.

At the end of Divine Liturgy, the clerics, worshipers and visiting guests shared a festive trapeza luncheon at the Marine Center, in the presence of the Icon of the Mother of God.

The following day, His Eminence, Bishop John and the Metropolitan’s delegation visited the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, where they were warmly greeted by Bishop Kirill.

On Tuesday, 25 April, the feast day of Radonitsa, Metropolitan Nicholas prayed at Divine Liturgy at Resurrection Cathedral in Buenos Aires, and honored the memory of the reposed hierarchs who served there, along with late clergymen and other community members.

The Primatial visit concludes on Tuesday evening, when Metropolitan Nicholas and his delegation will return to New York.

South American Diocese of ROCOR.