Leader's visit gladdens Watervliet congregation

Metropolitan Herman, head of Orthodox Church in North America, helps celebrate Lent


By SCOTT WALDMAN, Staff writer
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First published: Monday, April 7, 2008

WATERVLIET -- There was no police escort or lottery for tickets. But a religious visit of monumental importance to some local worshippers took place Sunday in an unassuming brick building in the middle of a suburban block.

St. Basil's Russian Orthodox Church on Sunday hosted a visit by Metropolitan Herman, the head of the church's 700 parishes, communities and monasteries in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

An enthusiastic crowd of about 100 people gathered to worship with the 76-year-old primate. The brightly colored church interior rang with song and was cloudy with incense smoke.

"This is like, if the Pope were to show up," said parishioner Mark Wolosen, as lines formed to receive communion from the leader.

The primate's visit comes during a time of Lenten fasting for Russian Orthodox Christians, who celebrate their Easter -- called Pascha -- on April 27. He urged the congregation to focus on the spiritual aspect of their fast.

He also attended a Saturday evening service at St. Basil's, while a dinner was held in his honor after the Sunday Mass so congregants could ask for his blessing.

Wolosen said the spiritual leader travels frequently from his Long Island headquarters to member parishes, and last visited the Capital Region two years ago. He said the primate attempts to visit each congregation at least once every other year.

Pope Benedict XVI, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, makes his first American visit later this month. While on a much smaller scale, the primate's stop Sunday in the Capital Region was no less significant to the faithful who gathered there for the nearly three-hour-long Mass.

William Rentz, the congregation's president, said it was "an awakening" to have such an important figure in the church make a personal connection with local parishioners. He said the visit drew necessary attention to the holiness of this period in the church's spiritual calendar.

"When you hear it from your metropolitan," he said, "you get a deeper understanding of it."

The church's origins in America date to the 18th century, when Orthodox monks first arrived in Alaska. European immigrants helped spread the church and its teachings throughout the country by the 1900s. In 1970, the American orthodoxy was granted self-governing status by the mother church in Russia.

Herman was enthroned as His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman in September 2002. He succeeded Metropolitan Theodosius, who retired after suffering a series of strokes.

Scott Waldman can be reached at 454-5080 or by e-mail at swaldman@timesunion.com.

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