On April 28, Thursday of Passion Week, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Eminence was co-served by Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, senior priest Archpriest Andrei Sommer, and cathedral clergy: Hieromonks Tikhon (Gayfudinov) and Eutychius (Dovganyuk) and Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff and Dionysius Lvov.

The Divine Liturgy on Great Thursday commemorates one of the most important events of the Gospel – the Mystical Supper, at which the Lord established the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). On Great Thursday, all of the Orthodox in attendance at Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries, in accordance with established church tradition: "this do in remembrance of Me."

On this day, in larger diocesan cathedrals and in the presence of a hierarch, after Liturgy is performed the Rite of the Washing of the Feet, which calls to our minds the Savior’s humility, when He washed His disciples’ feet before the Mystical Supper. During this Rite, the hierarch washes the feet of 12 priests seated on either side of him – representing thus the Lord’s disciples gathered for the supper – and wipes them with a long towel.