On Sunday, October 8, the feast of the repose of Venerable Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh & Wonderworker of All Russia, His Grace, Bishop Jerome (Shaw), celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City, in honor of the patronal feast of St. Sergius Church at the Synodal Headquarters.

Concelebrating with His Grace were: Archpriest Andrei Sommer (dean of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign), Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin; diocesan cleric), and Deacon Alexey Pnev (cleric of Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY).

The Synodal choir sang beautifully at Liturgy under the direction of Isaiah Trofimenko.

The cathedral was filled with worshippers, as was St. Sergius Church in the Synodal Headquarters building. There, Abbot Zosimas (Krampis; rector of the English Mission) celebrated Liturgy. Virtually all of the parishioners of both parishes, who gathered to pray and honor the memory of St. Sergius, communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of the service, Bishop Jerome and the clergy and faithful went in procession to St. Sergius Church, where a moleben was served to the holy elder of Radonezh.

His Grace greeted the clergy and faithful with the feast, and addressed them with a sermon about how the saints labored in holiness, and about the proper ascetic struggles to undertake in the world on the path to salvation.

In the cathedral hall, a festal luncheon was organized for the clergy and parishioners, during which their interaction continued.