DIOCESE OF EASTERN AMERICA AND NEW YORK: December 7, 2010
Metropolitan Alexander of Astanai and Kazakhstan and Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk Celebrate Divine Liturgy at St Vladimir Church

On Sunday, December 5, 2010, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Astanai and Kazakhstan and His Eminence Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk celebrated Divine Liturgy at St Vladimir Orthodox Church in Miami, FL. The archpastors were joined in the service by the Parish Rector, Protopriest Daniel McKenzie, and clergymen of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA.

After divine services, Archbishop Justinian greeted Metropolitan Alexander on behalf of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and introduced the high guest to the many parishioners in attendance. Metropolitan Alexander told the parishioners about his prior service in the Diocese of Kostroma and the history of the miracle-working Feodorovsky Icon of the Mother of God, the Protectress of the Romanov Dynasty. Vladyka Alexander gave the parish an icon of the Holy Russian Illuminators of America, and gave the parishioners small icons of the Kazan Mother of God. 

Fr Daniel then thanked the eminent archpastors for visiting his church and expressed his joy over their prayerful communion. He told them about the history of the parish, the founding of which St Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia, had blessed while serving as Ruling Bishop in North America.

The clergy and parishioners shared a fraternal trapeza, during which the ROCOR parishioners expressed the need to build a new, large Orthodox church which could accommodate the large Russian population of Miami.