On Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th of July, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada paid an archpastoral visit to Our Lady of Tikhvin Church in Howell, NJ, on the occasion of its patronal feast, and officiated the All-Night Vigil the eve prior and celebrated Divine Liturgy on the day of the feast. Serving alongside His Eminence were parish and visiting clergy from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania:

• Archpriest Mark Shinn (rector of St. Andrew Naval Cathedral in Philadelphia, PA)
• Archpriest Vasily Andrejuk (parish cleric)
• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (parish rector)
• Archpriest Luka Novakovic (rector of St. Michael Church in Philadelphia)
• Archpriest Zoran Radovic (rector of St. George Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ)
• Archpriest Ljubo Milosevic (rector of Holy Trinity Church in Vineland, NJ)
• Archpriest Petro Kunitsky (cleric of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Boris Slootsky (parish cleric)
• Abbot Eutychius (Dovgan; abbot of St. Nicholas Skete in Freehold, NJ)
• Archpriest Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Virgin Protection Church in New Brunswick, NJ)
• Archpriest Serge Ledkovsky (deputy rector of St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ)
• Priest Valery Sukholobov (rector of Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in Philadelphia)
• Priest Anthony Williams (parish cleric)
• Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski (parish cleric)
• Deacon Alexandre Sarandinaki (parish cleric), and
• Deacon Dimitry Lisan (parish cleric).

The rector, Fr. Serge, greeted His Eminence. A multitude of parishioners gathered for the service, most of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of Liturgy, Archbishop Gabriel greeted everyone with the feast and addressed the faithful with a sermon, in which he spoke about the history and miracles of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God.

In reply, the rector thanked the archpastor, clergy, and laity who had gathered in church for the feast in order to pray to the Mother  God and ask her intercessions.

In the parish hall of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, on the grounds of which Our Lady of Tikhvin Church is located, a festal luncheon was organized for the clergy, guests, and parishioners, during which their interaction continued.