On Friday, September 8, after several months visiting the parishes and monastery of Western Europe, the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God returned to her Home – the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. The holy icon had visited the Diocese of Germany and neighboring dioceses.

Upon the arrival of the holy image to the church, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York served an akathist before the icon, co-served by cathedral and diocesan clergy. Praying at the service was Bishop Job of Stuttgart, who had accompanied the icon from Munich to New York.

Bishop Job spoke about how "this year, the icon traveled for almost three months in the Diocese of Germany alone. Some parishes – and we have almost 75 – were visited by the icon twice. Several times, the holy image visited our monasteries and convents, where the inhabitants were able to pray before the icon at the divine services. We also took the Kursk Root Icon to the parishes of other dioceses of the Russian Church and other jurisdictions that had requested it of us."

On December 10, the 14th Sunday after Pentecost and the day when the Holy Church honors the Translation of the Relics of Venerable Job of Pochaev, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Sign, co-served by Bishop Job. Concelebrating with the hierarchs were: Archpriest Andrei Sommer (cathedral dean), Priest George Temidis (secretary of the diocesan administration), Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff (cathedral cleric), and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; diocesan cleric).

Singing at Liturgy was the Synodal Choir under the direction of conductor Vadim S. Gan.

Liturgy was held under the aegis of the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora – the Kursk Root Icon. The church was filled with the faithful, who came to pray before and honor the wonderworking image.

Upon completion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas greeted all with the feast, and congratulated Bishop Job on the occasion of his namesday.

He then addressed parishioners with a sermon on the Parable of the Great Banquet, in which he said, in part:

"This wedding banquet is the triumph of our Faith. The Jewish people did not heed those prophets who came and prepared all men to receive the Savior and Messiah – Jesus Christ. In A.D. 70, Jerusalem was destroyed. There were martyrs and confessors, as well as those who did not accept Christ. And today we are all invited to the great banquet of the triumph of our Faith. We have the teachings of the prophets, but now in the New Testament, in the Holy Gospel. The Lord invites us to the wedding feast – to live as befits a Christian. But we often even justify ourselves: I confess everything, fulfill everything earnestly, and attend God’s church. But where is our heart? Our garment is our baptism. When the Rite of Baptism takes place, after the triple immersion, he who is baptized is given a white shirt, a new garment – ‘the vesture of righteousness.’

"We received our true Faith, we are arrayed in new attire, in order to confess God, to defend our Faith and participate in the triumph of the Faith – this wedding feast: to know Holy Scripture, to have love for all, to exercise and multiply the virtues, and to cleanse our hearts."

His Eminence called on them to hear this summons, this invitation from God – to come to the wedding feast of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: to take an active part in the life of the Church and to worthily bear our wedding garment, our baptism.

Bishop Job thanked Metropolitan Nicholas for the invitation to come and concelebrate with him on the feast day of his Heavenly patron, as well as to visit Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

The cathedral sisterhood then organized a luncheon in the church hall, during which interaction between the clergy and parishioners continued. A concert was also held, dedicated to the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and opera singer Feodor Chaliapin. The compositions were performed by pianist Alexander Chaplinsky, choir director of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City, and singer Mikhail Svetlov.