NEW YORK: 23 June 2023
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York celebrates Divine Liturgy and attends a benefit concert for Ukrainian refugees

?On June 25, the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost, and the date when the Holy Church also commemorates the Venerable Onuphrius the Great, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Cathedral Dean Archpriest Andrei Sommer, Archpriest Seraphim Chemodakov (cleric of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ), Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff (cathedral cleric) and Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY), and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; diocesan cleric).

Singing at Liturgy was the Synodal choir under the direction of conductor Vadim Gan.

A multitude of parishioners of the cathedral and other churches in the city prayed at the service, many of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas greeted all with the feast and addressed those present with a sermon on the reading from the Gospel of Matthew on preserving the purity of the eye and soul, and on the reading from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans – on obtaining spiritual experience.

The cathedral sisterhood organized a luncheon in the church hall.

Later, a concert was held in the hall to benefit those suffering from the military conflict in Ukraine. The concert featured classical music, and several romances and folks songs were performed by singers of the Synodal choir and musicians of the city. The funds raised by the concert will be sent to the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which will forward them to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and distributed between those in need in Ukraine and those who were forced to flee their homeland.

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