On Tuesday, November 3, the feast day of Venerable Schemamonk Hilarion of the Caves, clergy and faithful gathered in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City for the Divine Liturgy and to congratulate their archpastor, who was celebrating his namesday. The Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

His Eminence was co-served by Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan and Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; Archpriests Serge Lukianov (secretary of the Eastern American Diocese), Alexander Belya (dean of New York City), Serafim Gan (Chancellor of the Synod of Bishops), and Petro Kunitsky (cleric of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church in Brooklyn, NY), Abbot Cornelius (Apukhtin; cleric of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY), Archpriests Petro Zgoba, Vasiliy Raskovskiy (Synodal cleric), Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of Long Island & the Hudson Valley), and Yaroslav Lutoshkin (cleric of the Metropolis of Moldova), Hieromonk Eutychius (Dovganyuk; Synodal cleric), Priests George Maximov (cleric of the Diocese of Moscow), Alexey Bykon (cleric of Holy New Martyrs Church in Brooklyn), and Vadim Zakharkin, Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff (Synodal cleric), Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY), and Leonid Roschko (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ), Deacon Nathan Mousselli (cleric of St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ), Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; cleric of Holy Dormition Convent Novo-Diveevo in Nanuet, NY), and Deacons Dionysius Lvov (Synodal cleric) and Alexey Pnev (cleric of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Mahopac).

The service was held under the aegis of the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. During the reading of the hours, Metropolitan Hilarion tonsured Holy Trinity Seminary graduate Dmitry Anopochkin a reader.

Upon completion of the Liturgy, Bishop John read aloud a congratulatory message to the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad from Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow & All Russia. Congratulating Metropolitan Hilarion on his namesday, His Holiness prayerfully wished him great strength, God’s aid, and success in his archpastoral service: "Over the course of many years, you have performed with love and responsibility the difficult task to which you were called by the Chief Shepherd Christ. Tirelessly laboring in founding and growing church communities, enlightening your contemporaries with the light of the Gospel truth, you expend every effort to ensure that the children of the One Russian Orthodox Church genuinely demonstrate ‘the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Ephesans 4:3)".

On behalf of the members of the Synod of Bishops and the Council of Bishops, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan congratulated Metropolitan Hilarion on his namesday: "We, the hierarchs of the Church Abroad, though scattered throughout the whole world, possess the spirit of unity and common cause, and you, Vladyka, unite us. We are joyful to have such a kind and abundantly loving chief pastor, and we love and are ready to support you."

In September, with the blessing of the Synod of Bishops, the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon visited Russia for the seventh time. This time, its route traveled through the territories of the Kursk, Ekaterinburg, and Ufa Metropolias, where the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora was met with spiritual joy by the clergy and faithful. Bishop Nicholas relayed to His Eminence the gratitude expressed by all of the Orthodox there and namesday congratulations from the hierarchs of those dioceses, as well as a gift from Metropolitan Nikon of Ufa & Sterlitamak – a cross and panagia set, and from Bishop Nicholas of Salavat & Kumertau – a panagia.

Metropolitan Hilarion thanked his brother-archpastors for their words of congratulation, well-wishing, and prayerful support, and wished everyone who joined him in the feast good health and God’s aid in every one of their life’s paths.

Upon completion of the service, the cathedral sisterhood held a festal reception in the church hall for the clergy, parishioners, and guests in the Metropolitan’s honor, during which many words of congratulation were offered, and the clergy and faithful were able to continue their interaction.