On April 7, the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, that of the Veneration of the Cross, and when the Holy Church also celebrates the great feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos this year, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. Concelebrating with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad were: Archpriest Andrei Sommer (cathedral dean) and Archpriest Seraphim Chemodakov, Hieromonk Theognost (Kogan), and Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff and Serge Arlievsky (cathedral clerics).

The Synodal choir sang beautifully at Liturgy under the direction of conductor Vadim S. Gan.

The cathedral was full of parishioners and faithful from other churches of New York and New Jersey. Most of these communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the faithful with a sermon on the feast, in which he called on them to raise up their children in love for God and the Church; to know that beauty and life are in God’s Church; to pray together and, as the Mother of God received great obedience with love, so also for parents to have great care for their children.

His Eminence congratulated Fr. Nicolas Mokhoff on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate.

"Your entire life, dear Fr. Nicolas, has been intertwined with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York City. Here, with the blessing of the newly elected First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky), you began to attend the church group specially organized by him for young people, where you met your future wife, Nadia. Here, you were wed in 1969. Here, in 1974, you were ordained by Metropolitan Philaret to the diaconate, and for all these years you have zealously served alongside hierarchs and cathedral clerics, and together with your spouse took care for the beautification of the church."

The Metropolitan noted that Fr. Nicholas’ service took place under five First Hierarchs and spanned various epochs of the life of the Russian Church Abroad, and that he is not only a witness to Church history, but a direct participant thereof.

Metropolitan Nicholas thanked the Protodeacon for his many years of God-pleasing labors on behalf of Christ’s Church, and wished Fr. Nicolas good health, familial affection and prosperity, peace of soul, and God’s unfailing aid.

His Eminence also read aloud greetings to Fr. Nicolas from Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco & Western America, his diocesan vicar Bishops Theodosius and James, and Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada.

In the cathedral hall, the sisterhood prepared a wonderful jubilee meal for Fr. Nicolas, his family, the clergy, and parishioners. Metropolitan Nicholas, Fr. Andrei Sommer, the cathedral sisterhood’s head sister Elena Bakanina, Subdeacon Egor Schatiloff, and Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky all greeted Fr. Nicolas and shared their warm reminiscences of him.

Also arriving to congratulate Fr. Nicholas on his anniversary were Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of New York City & Long Island) and Protodeacons Eugene Kallaur and Paul Wolkow (clerics of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY).

That evening, Metropolitan Nicholas officiated the Sacrament of Holy Unction in Holy Myyrhbearers Church in Brooklyn, NY.