On Cheesefare Sunday, February 26, the eve of Great Lent, when the Holy Church commemorates the expulsion of Adam from Paradise, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Eminence was co-served by Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, as well as Synodal and visiting clergy: Archpriest Andrei Sommer (senior priest of the cathedral), Archpriest Ioann Chervinsky (cleric of the Diocese of Kursk), Archpriest Vasiliy Raskovskiy, Hieromonks Nikolai (Letsin) and Eutychius (Dovganyuk), Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff, Vadim Gan, and Dionysius Lvov (cathedral clerics), and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY).

During the service, Metropolitan Hilarion also ordained Subdeacon Sergey Trostyanskiy to the diaconate, who the day prior had been tonsured a reader and ordained a subdeacon in St. Sergius of Radonezh Church in the Synodal Headquarters.

Upon conclusion of the Liturgy, a touching service was held in the Synodal Cathedral – Vespers with the Rite of Forgiveness, after which the cathedral sisterhood invited the clergy and parishioners to a traditional Bliny meal before the start of Great Lent.