On Wednesday, September 21, the great feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos ‒ with the blessing of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York ‒ Archbishop Victor of Artsiz, vicar of the Diocese of Odessa (Ukrainian Orthodox Church) celebrated Divine Liturgy in St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC.

Concelebrating with His Eminence at Liturgy were parish rector Archpriest Victor Potapov and cathedral Protodeacons Blagoje Siljegovic, Patrick Mitchell, and John Dean, as well as Deacon Rostislav Reviuk (cleric of the Western American Diocese).

After the Great Entrance, with the blessing of Metropolitan Nicholas, Archbishop Victor ordained Deacon Rostislav to the priesthood for service in St. Barbara Church in Lake Forest, CA.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Archbishop Victor delivered a sermon on the feast, which can be viewed here.

The rector greeted the esteemed guest, thanking him for his prayers in the cathedral that day. In turn, His Eminence presented the parish with relics of the Holy Hierarch Hierotheus (Lobachevsky), who was glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church a week prior, on September 12.

Later, Archbishop Victor served a short memorial litia for his departed spiritual father, Schema-Archimandrite Macarius (Bolotov).

In the fellowship hall, His Eminence gave a short but inspiring talk on the situation in Ukraine and answered parishioners’ questions.