On Saturday, October 19, Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY, marked the 70th anniversary of its founding – specifically, the first Liturgy celebrated here. Leading the festivities was Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York.

Concelebrating at Liturgy with the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad in the convent’s St. Seraphim Cathedral were Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, and a multitude of clergy:

• Archpriest Alexander Fedorowski (dean of St. Seraphim Cathedral)
• Archpriest George Larin (pastor emeritus of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY)
• Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko (rector of All Russian Saints Church in Burlingame, CA)
• Archimandrite Elevferiy (Skiba; dean of "Inexhaustible Chalice" Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (dean of New Jersey)
• Archpriest Zoran Radovic (rector of St. George Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ)
• Archpriest Elias Gorsky (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY)
• Archpriest Mark Burachek (rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ)
• Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of Long Island & the Hudson Valley)
• Archpriest Constantine Semyanko (rector of Presentation of Christ Church in Stratford, CT)
• Abbot Photius (Oulanov; confessor to the convent sisterhood)
• Priest George Temidis (rector of Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY)
• Hieromonk Felipe (Balingit; cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY)
• Priest Vadim Pismenny (cleric of St. Sergius Church in Golyanovo, Moscow)
• Priest Artem Siss (convent cleric)
• Protodeacon Vadim Gan (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City)
• Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky (convent cleric)
• Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY)
• Protodeacon Leonid Roschko (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ)
• Deacon Nicholas Ilyin (convent cleric)
• Deacon Andrew Podymow (cleric of Holy Protection Church in Nyack); and
• Deacon Nectarios Yangson (cleric of the Western American Diocese, guardian of the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God).

Singing at the service was a mixed choir under the direction of conductor John Arlievsky.

Prior to the start of Liturgy, His Eminence ordained Reader Ilya Mouravieff (cleric of Holy Trinity Church in Vineland, NJ) a subdeacon, and awarded St. Seraphim Cathedral altar servers Andrew Fedorowski and Peter Galitzine the right to wear the orarion.

The church was full of worshippers, who came from various states to celebrate the convent’s anniversary. Most of these communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

After the Great Entrance, His Eminence ordained Deacon Andrew Podymow a priest.

Upon completion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the clergy, Abbess Makaria, and the nuns of the convent on the occasion of their anniversary. He recalled the labors of the convent’s founder, Archbishop Andrew (Rymarenko) of Rockland, in organizing the monastic life therein, and wished the nuns God’s aid in their further labors and service of prayer.

During the celebrations, the lesser church, home to an icon of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov that began as a portrait of the saint painted during his lifetime, was opened for the faithful, who were able to pray before it to the saint.

At the festal luncheon, a slideshow of old photographs was presented about the history of the convent and the people associated with it. The film was organized by regular convent parishioner Valentina Butch, who spent her childhood in the immediate vicinity of the convent.