NEW YORK: November 5, 2014
The Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” and St Seraphim Memorial Church to the Reestablishment of Unity Within the Russian Orthodox Church Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Glorification of St John of Kronstadt by the Church Abroad

On Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1, 2014, the anniversary of the glorification of St John of Kronstadt, all-night vigil and Divine Liturgy were celebrated at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” in New York, headed by Senior Priest Protopriest Andrei Sommer, along with Priest Igor Grytsyna, Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov), Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff and Deacn Nazary Fataliev. Deacon Dionisy Lvov and his matushka Nadezhda donated flowers to adorn the cathedral. The cassock of St John of Kronstadt from the Synod’s collection was made available for veneration during the services.

That day, at the invitation of Protopriest Serafim Gan, Rector of and St Seraphim Memorial Church to the Reestablishment of Unity Within the Russian Orthodox Church in Sea Cliff, NY, His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, officiated at Divine Liturgy. Praying at the service was Protopriest Leonid Kishkovsky, President of the Department of External Relations of the Orthodox Church in America, Rector of neighboring Kazan Church of the Mother of God. A special relic was made available for veneration—the kamilavka of St John of Kronstadt, a gift to one of Fr Serafim’s relatives. The St Petersburg Men’s Ensemble under Kirill Sokolov sang at the service. After Holy Communion, Bishop John and the clergymen performed a prayer service at the icon of St John, after which the archpastor delivered a sermon on the topic of the day’s celebration. After the services, Fr Serafim welcomed Vladyka John and gave him a set of sacramental vestments and a book on the 60th anniversary of the founding of St Seraphim Church. In return, Vladyka warmly thanked the rector for the invitation to celebrate Liturgy in the splendid church and wished the parish Divine aid and the intercession of St John of Kronstadt. The clergy and parishioners then proceeded to a trapeza luncheon prepared by the parish sisterhood, during with the St Petersburg Ensemble sang folk songs and romances.

nycathedralofsign.org and ruschurchusa.org