On October 31, the 19th Sunday after Pentecost, and the date when the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City, co-served by diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan.

Concelebrating with the hierarchs were: Archpriest Edward Chervinsky (cathedral cleric), Priest Alexei Klar (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY), and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; diocesan cleric). The Synodal choir sang at the divine service under the direction of Vadim S. Gan.

Prior to the start of the service, Metropolitan Hilarion ordained Eugene Korolev a subdeacon. Subdeacon Eugene is a church benefactor, thanks to whom several monuments have been erected in the Diocese.

That day, a multitude of parishioners prayed before the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God and many communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

The First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad greeted the faithful with the Lord’s Day, as well as the feast of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke – a disciple of the Holy Apostle Paul, his friend and fellow traveler, together with whom he visited many churches and places where they sowed the seeds of the Christian Faith. Saint Luke was an educated man, who wrote down the words of the Apostle Paul and others of the apostles, and is the author of one of the Gospels and of the Book of Acts.

Metropolitan Hilarion wished good health and the fortifying grace of God to all in attendance; that all that we do might be done by us in the name of the Lord God, receiving the grace of the Holy Spirit for our spiritual growth and salvation.

Bishop Nicholas spoke about the divine services in the cathedral for the coming week, and called on the faithful to attend Liturgy on November 3, the feast day of Venerable Hilarion, Schemamonk of the Caves, to pray and congratulate their First Hierarch on his namesday.