NEW YORK: 18 August 2025
Recent services performed by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York

5 August: The Orthodox Church honors the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. This year marks the 350th anniversary of the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos and the miraculous deliverance of Pochaev from the Tatar invasion. The Church of Our Lady of Pochaev in North Port, FL also held celebrations in honor of this great icon.

The day before – Monday, August 4 – the brethren and parishioners worked hard to decorate the church, the building, and the entire monastery grounds. Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk) creatively and lovingly decorated the icon case with the Pochaev Icon and Footprint of the Most Holy Theotokos. The iconostasis and the central icon were also decorated.
His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, arrived to share in the joy of the celebration. Numerous priests and pilgrims from Miami, New York, Naples, Orlando, and other cities also came to the celebration.
On the eve of the feast, the All-Night Vigil was served with a litia and the singing of the akathist to the Pochaev Icon. Metropolitan Nicholas officiated the service. The hymns were sung by the brotherhood choir under the direction of Valeria Surovaya.
After Vigil, the hierarch, clergy, guests, and all the worshippers were invited to a festal meal.

In keeping with tradition, the day of the celebration itself began with the Lesser Blessing of Water. Then the children greeted Metropolitan Nicholas with poems. The hierarch was solemnly greeted by the rector, Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk), and the clergy.

At the Little Entrance, the Metropolitan awarded Frs. Mikhail and Arkadii the right to wear the gold pectoral cross.

The singing of the mixed choir under the direction of Valeria Surovaya, in which guests from Cleveland and Miami also participated, sounded especially solemn. Despite its being a weekday, the church was full, with more than 150 worshippers.

After Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the rector, clergy and parishioners with an archpastoral sermon. He congratulated everyone on the first patronal feast of the new monastery, wished the monastery prosperity, and called on everyone to visit this holy place, where they can find spiritual support and consolation.

Metropolitan Nicholas also presented the church with a copy of the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon Mother of God.
After Liturgy, a festive meal was held, lovingly prepared by Marina Tyrkina and her assistants.

8-9 August: , Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York paid an archpastoral visit to St Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT, where he officiated the parish’s patronal feast. On Saturday morning, before Liturgy, parish rector Archpriest Dionisy Nalitov performed the lesser blessing of water. At the entrance to the church, the warden greeted the Metropolitan with bread and salt, thanking him for his prayers and support of the parish.

Concelebrating with His Eminence at Liturgy were: Archpriests Serge Lukianov (dean of New Jersey), Petre Kruashvili (rector of St Gregory of Khandzta Georgian Church in Manville, NJ), Fr. Dionisy, and Victor Boldewskul (rector of Holy Epiphany Church in Boston, MA), Protodeacon Andrei Psarev (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY), and Deacon Konstantin Aleshin (cleric of Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY).
The choir sang the service under the direction of Reader John Nalitov.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas congratulated all with their patronal feast – the day of remembrance of a saint revered throughout the Christian world – the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon and, addressing the faithful, said, in part:
“The Great Martyr Panteleimon gives us an example of how to live. He always helped the suffering free of charge, had compassionate love, and through his prayers people received and continue to receive healing to this day. Following the example of St. Panteleimon, we should endure everything that the Lord gives us in life for our edification and salvation: endure everything with humility, with obedience, with gratitude, love God with all our hearts, firmly profess our faith and help our neighbors.

"But more often we think only about our life, how we might speedily receive earthly blessings. Meanwhile, the Lord wants from us our heart, our repentance, our tenderness, our prayer, our feats. Let us live like this, always having before us the example of the Healer Panteleimon – to endure everything unto the glory of God. And then we will feel the special mercy of God and that Christian joy that can only be found in a life in the Church, when we come to church, pray at home, or travel, visiting other churches. There there is joy in the Lord, joy from above, a sense of goodness and grace. In our church life, within the confines of the Church is the grace of God. But we must take an active part in church life and be an active worker for our parish."

Metropolitan Nicholas recalled the words of the Apostle Paul, addressed to Timothy and to all of us: " Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus " (II Tim. 2:1). He called on those gathered to follow the words of the Apostle Paul and show love and concern for each other.

For many years of work for the benefit of the Holy Church and the parish, Metropolitan Nicholas presented Fr. Dionisy with a jeweled cross, specially commissioned for the centennial of the founding of the Russian Church Abroad.

10 August: On August 10, the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, when the Holy Church honors the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, named the "Hodegetria" (Directress), His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. Serving alongside the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad were cathedral clerics: dean Archpriest Andrei Sommer, Archpriest Seraphim Chemodakov, Hieromonk Theognost (Kogan), and Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky.

The Synodal Choir sang at Liturgy under the direction of conductor Vadim S. Gan.

The parishioners of the cathedral and believers from other churches prayed during the service, many received Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the faithful with a sermon, in which he said, in part:
"Last week, we heard a passage from the Gospel about the feeding of the 5,000 men, along with women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fish. Today’s Gospel reading tells of another miracle that the Lord performed, on the Sea of Galilee. Having blessed the people gathered there, Christ sent the apostles in a boat to the Sea of Galilee, and He Himself, having performed the miracle, went to pray. It happens in our lives that after everything good or difficult, we go to pray. And Christ shows us this example: after everything, He goes and prays.

"The Sea of Galilee is called a sea because strong winds blow there and can form large waves. The apostles came from those places – the area of the Sea of Galilee and Tiberias. Christ chose them there, He preached there and performed miracles. And here are the apostles – in a boat, and Christ is praying alone. It is night. A storm begins, the waves are beating against the boat, and the apostles, of course, began to worry. Suddenly they see God himself, but do not recognize Him and think that it is a spirit. They were even more afraid, but heard the voice of the Teacher: ‘Fear not, it is I.’

"The apostles recognized Jesus Christ. Apostle Peter, having love for the Teacher, asks: ‘If You, Lord, walk on the waters, then it is a miracle. Allow me to come to You on the waters.’ The Lord answers: ‘Go.’ And the Apostle Peter goes to his Teacher. It is dark, waves surround him, Peter doubts and begins to drown. ‘Lord, save me!” he cries. The Lord gives him His hand and together they find themselves in the boat. And the disciples believed on the Savior all the more. This is a wonderful Gospel reading that gives us something to think about."

Metropolitan Nicholas reminded us that on this Sunday – the day of his repose – we prayerfully remember the Most Blessed Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who from 1920-1936 was the first President of the Synod of Bishops, formed in Serbia. There Metropolitan Anthony reposed and was buried.

"He was a prominent bishop, a participant in the Local Council of the Russian Church in 1917-1918, a candidate for the Patriarchal throne, receiving more votes than the others. But the lot fell on the young Patriarch Tikhon, who headed the Church and became a new martyr. And Metropolitan Anthony steered the ship of our Church outside of Russia. We thank him for his wise leadership of the Church Abroad in difficult times far from the Motherland.

"Today we also remember the great composer Boris M. Ledkovsky, whose namesday was last week on the feast of Sts. Boris & Gleb – July 24/August 6. And he reposed on his namesday 50 years ago. Having left Russia, Boris Mikhailovich directed a choir in Berlin and later, at the invitation of the Most Blessed Metropolitan Anastassy, he came to America in 1952, where a hierarchal choir was established in the Synodal Cathedral.

"We remember our preceptors and thank them for their service and labors in difficult conditions, always putting service to God and Church life first."

In the church hall after the service, cathedral parishioner Christopher Spiro gave an interesting presentation about his trip to Alaska. Then the sisterhood offered the clergy and parishioners a meal, during which their fellowship continued.

14 August: the feast of the Procession of the Honorable Wood of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church in Brooklyn, NY.
Concelebrating with His Eminence were Archimandrite Gabriel (Pigarev; parish dean), Archpriest Serafim Gan (chancellor of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops), Archpriest Petro Kunitsky (parish cleric), and Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY).

Parishioners wonderfully adorned the church with flowers and floral arrangements for the feast day. The parish choir sang prayerfully. On the first day of the Dormition Fast, a multitude of parishioners gathered in the church, most of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas blessed water, as well as honey, which is traditionally done on this day.
In the church hall, the sisterhood organized a lenten luncheon for the clergy and parishioners.

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