On the great feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross of the Lord, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan took part in the divine services in Kursk, Russia.

On the eve of the feast, Thursday, September 26, His Grace led the Rite of the Exaltation of the Cross during All-Night Vigil in the Kursk Root Hermitage, co-served by monastery’s deputy abbot, Abbot Seraphim (Kotelnikov). Meanwhile, the clerics accompanying Bishop Nicholas on the pilgrimage – Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of Long Island & the Hudson Valley), Archpriest Victor Trotsky (rector of Dormition Cathedral in Ferndale, MI), Archpriest Alexander Logunov (rector of Reigning Mother of God Church in Charlotte, NC), Archpriest Viatcheslav Davidenko (cleric of Holy Trinity Church in Toronto, Canada) Archdeacon Peter (Karakosoff; cleric of Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, CA), and Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY) – co-served with Metropolitan Herman of Kursk & Rylsk at Vigil in Kursk’s Cathedral of the Sign.

On Friday, September 27, the very day of the feast, Metropolitan Herman celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Sign, co-served by Bishop Nicholas, local clergy, and clergy from the Russian Church Abroad. Singing the divine service was a festal male choir. The services were held under the aegis of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Herman presented Bishop Nicholas with an icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. In turn, Bishop Nicholas then presented Metropolitan Herman with a copy of the icon of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, the original of which is located in Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY.

That afternoon, Bishop Nicholas led a moleben and akathist before the wonderworking icon in the Diocesan Cathedral of the Sign, where it is currently remaining for veneration by the city’s faithful. Singing the service was the youth and children’s choir, "Lampada," from the Sunday School of All Saints Church in Kursk. As the priests read the akathist, His Grace prayerfully commemorated some of the hundreds of slips that had been submitted to the Most-Pure Mother of God.

A stream of the faithful who wished to venerate and pray before the holy image lasted all day. With the exception of the festal divine services, akathists were read before the icon once every hour.