On Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th of February, while on an archpastoral visit to the Florida Deanery, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York visited St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon Church in Pompano Beach, FL and officiated the divine services there.

Parishioners and pilgrims prepared many days in advance to greet the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora – the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, which was present throughout the weekend.

Concelebrating alongside the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad at Divine Liturgy were:

• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (dean of New Jersey)
• Archpriest Serge Prisacaru (cleric of St. Vladimir Church in Miami, FL)
• Archpriest Yaroslav Lutoshkin
• Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk; cleric of Our Lady of Pochaev Church in North Port, FL)
• Priest Mykhailo Mykhailenko (cleric of St. Vladimir Church)
• Hierodeacon Paisius (Alexeevets; UOC cleric), and
• Deacon Stefan Stoyanov (diocesan cleric).

Singing marvelously at the divine services was the parish choir under the direction of conductor Katherine Lukianov. The church was filled with worshippers, virtually all of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon conclusion of the service, a short moleben was served before the wonderworking icon. After a sermon, His Eminence greeted the clergy and parishioners on the recent feasts and wished them God’s strength through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos.

A luncheon was held in the parish hall, after which Metropolitan Nicholas led the General Parish Assembly.

In the late afternoon, the First Hierarch, clergy, and parishioners traveled to the proposed site of the future Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Metropolitan Nicholas blessed the building – a former Anglican church ‒ and invoked God’s blessing upon the clergy, parishioners, and benefactors supporting this endeavor.

To learn more about the project and to donate, visit the website here.