On Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th of October, the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Grace, Bishop Jerome (Shaw), paid an archpastoral visit to Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY, where he officiated the divine services on the occasion of its patronal feast day.

On Thursday evening, His Grace officiated the All-Night Vigil, co-served by Archpriests Chad Williams (rector of St. Alexander Nevsky Memorial Church in Richmond, ME) and Elias Gorsky (parish rector), Priests Andrew Podymow (parish cleric) and Alexei Klar (cleric of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY), Protodeacon Dimitri Temidis (parish cleric), and Deacons Alexey Pnev and Konstantin Aleshin (clerics of Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY).

Vigil was followed by a dinner for the clergy at the home of the pastor emeritus, Archpriest George Larin, with reminiscences about past hierarchs and events of ROCOR life.

On Friday morning, Bishop Jerome celebrated Divine Liturgy, co-served by the above-mentioned clergy, with the exceptions of Frs. Alexei Klar and Konstantin Aleshin, and joined by Priest George Temidis (rector of the New Kursk Root Hermitage) and Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky (cleric of Novo-Diveevo Convent). Praying in the altar was Archpriest George Larin.

The choir sang very strongly and splendidly during the Liturgy, directed by Subdeacon Victor Gonchar, who received a diocesan gramota for his excellent work both in Nyack and Novo-Diveevo.

Upon completion of the service, His Grace addressed the faithful with a sermon, which he began with the words of St. Peter Mogila’s pre-Nikonian zadostoinik for the feast of the Protection: "Magnify, O my soul, the honourable Protection of the Mother of God," and from there to the incident described in the Prologue for the feast, in which the Most Holy Theotokos refused to visit the cell of a certain priest until he removed a book contained heretical writings of Nestorius. Bishop Jerome stressed that the Protection we most need is not so much from natural disasters as from human malice, of which heresy is the worst.

A gift of 3 sets of handmade liturgical cuffs was presented from the parish to Fr. Dimitri Temidis on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate. A letter of greeting from the Metropolitan to Fr. Elias and the clergy and worshippers on their parish feast day was read aloud, followed by further congratulations.

The traditional moleben and procession around the church was then held.

After the service, a wonderful meal served by the parish sisterhood, including Greco-Turkish coffee accompanying dessert.