On Friday, August 28,the great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. It was led by His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, the vicar of the Bulgarian Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia, Bishop Daniel of Dragovitsa, and the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Grace John, Bishop of Naro-Fominsk. The hierarchs were co-served by clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Bulgarian Church, and the Russian Church Abroad, including the rector of the Kursk Theological School, Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky), and the Synodal Cathedral’s senior priest, Archpriest Andrei Sommer.

Upon completion of the service, Bishop Nicholas congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the occasion of the feast of Dormition, and greeted his brother hierarchs, thanking them for the joy of their shared prayer, and presented them with festal gifts.

His Grace then held a luncheon in honor of his distinguished guests, during which the hierarchs discussed various timely issues relating to their joint service in the U.S.