NEW YORK: August 16, 2011 
The Synod of Bishops Holds a Meeting 

On Tuesday, August 16, 2011, the feast day of St Anthony the Roman, Miracle-worker of Novgorod, a regular session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held. Presiding was His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. Also participating were His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada and His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America.  

Opening the session, the President of the Synod noted that on this day during Divine Liturgy celebrated at St Sergius Church in the Synodal building, special commemorative supplications were made to mark the namesday of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky, +1936) of Kiev and Galicia of blessed memory, the first Primate of the Russian Church Abroad, as well as for his student and tonsure, Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev, +2000) of San Francisco and Western America. The hierarchs then sang “Eternal Memory” for the reposed archpastors.  

Metropolitan Hilarion then reported on his forthcoming September trip to the Holy Land. In addition to conducting divine services in the convents of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Church Abroad, and visits to Christian holy sites, the Primate’s pilgrimage will include meetings with His All-Holiness Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and Palestine, as well as clergymen, monastics and visiting pilgrims from the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand.  

Hearing the reports of Archbishop Mark and Archbishop Gabriel, as well as a financial report, the members of the Synod of Bishops established working groups together with representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate for various aspects of Church life, including one for the preparation of celebrations of the 5th anniversary of the reestablishment of unity within the Russian Orthodox Church, consisting of the following members: Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle; Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, Protopriest Andrew Phillips and Protopriest Serafim Gan.  

Other managerial matters were also discussed as well as intercessions by the hierarchs for awards to clergymen and laypersons.  

The next session of the Synod of Bishops will be held on October 11, 2011.