NEWS FROM THE DIOCESES
 
SYNOD OF BISHOPS: May 12, 2005

His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus Announces His Schedule for May

On May 18 and 19, the feast day of St Job the Much-suffering, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus will perform services at the Royal New Martyrs Memorial Church of St Job the Much-suffering in Brussels, Belgium, on its feast-day celebrations.

On May 22, His Eminence will perform the consecration of the St Nicholas Chapel at Munich Cathedral along with His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany and the members of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod's spring session will begin the next day. The Synod of Bishops will consider documents drafted during the fourth joint session of the Committee on discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate and the latter's corresponding Committee, which were held on March 2-4, 2005 in the outskirts of Paris. The Synod of Bishops will consider the possibility of publishing these documents, were already approved by the hierarchies of both parts of the Russian Church. The Synod of Bishops will also study materials prepared by the Pre-Council Committee, which is planning the 4th All-Diaspora Council.

On May 26, His Eminence will perform a pannikhida at the memorial to the forced repatriates of Lienz.

On May 27, His Eminence Metropolitan will depart for London, where he will officiate at the consecration of the lower chapel of Dormition Church, and will visit the local Orthodox holy sites.

On May 31, His Eminence will return to New York.