Celebrations on the occasion of the restoration of canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church begin in the USA

31 August 2007, 18:06


New York, August 31, Interfax - Celebrations to mark the reestablishment of full brotherly communion in the Russian Orthodox Church begin in the USA.

With the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, an official delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate has come to New York to participate in the festive celebrations. It is headed by Metropolitan Isidor of Yekaterinodar and Kuban.

During this brotherly visit, divine services are planned to be held in the churches and monasteries of the Russian diaspora, including the ROCOR parishes in North America, Europe, Australia. The celebrations will be opened with the joint All-Night Vigil Service at St. Nicholas Cathedral and conclude on October 3 with the thanksgiving at the Savior’s Crown of Thorns at Notre Dame de Paris, the official site of the Church Abroad has reported.

Throughout their trip, the Moscow Patriarchate delegation will have with them the miracle-working Derzhavnaya (Reigning) Icon of the Mother of God, which was found on the day when Emperor Nicholas II abdicated and which is kept today in the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Kolomenskoye, Moscow. Before their departure for the USA, the delegation prayed at the Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God at the Sretensky monastery in Moscow for their safe trip.

The famous choir of the Sretensky monastery will come for the celebrations together with the bishops.

As part of their festive program, the delegation and the choir will participate in the celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the Episcopal service of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus of Eastern America and New York.

In addition to participating in divine services in New York, Jordanville, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Melbourne, Sydney, Geneva, Berlin, London and Paris, the Sretensky Choir will also perform "Masterpieces of Russian Choral Singing" in the great concert halls of these cities.

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