On Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York officiated All-Night Vigil and celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Church in Fletcher, NC. His Eminence was joined by Archpriest Onouphry Keith (rector of the ROCOR Mission in King, NC), parish rector Priest Steven Webb, and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin, accompanying the Metropolitan).

The resurrectional Vigil on Saturday evening was sung prayerfully by a small choir, with many people confessing and receiving absolution long past the dismissal.

The following morning, at the reading of the Hours, Metropolitan Hilarion tonsured parishioner Aaron Kaczmarek and John Plyler of the King, NC Mission as readers.

At the Little Entrance, Fr. Steven was awarded the gold cross in honor of the tenth anniversary of his priestly ordination.

Many people joyously received Holy Communion.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion preached on the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers from the Gospel of Matthew, exhorting the faithful to remember the trials and persecutions of both the Old Testament prophets and the great apostles and saints of our Church.

After the sermon, Fr. Steven and the parish presented Metropolitan Hilarion with a handmade icon set of the life of St. Nicholas, and Fr. Panteleimon with an icon of his patron saint made by a parishioner. The faithful of St. Nicholas Church also presented their Fr. Steven with three new sets of vestments in honor of the anniversary of his ordination.