On May 29, the Monday of the 7th week after Pascha, coinciding with the observance of Memorial Day, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, visited St. Tikhon Stavropegial Monastery of the Orthodox Church in America in South Canaan, PA.

Here His Eminence and his delegation participated in the 119th annual pilgrimage and celebration of Divine Liturgy, officiated by His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America & Canada. In addition to the ROCOR delegation, joining the hierarchs in the service were Their Eminences Melchizedek, Archbishop of Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania, and Michael, Archbishop of New York & New Jersey, Archimandrite Sergius (Bowyer; monastery abbot), Archpriest Alexander Rentel (chancellor of the OCA), Archpriest John Parker (dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary), along with monastery, seminary, and visiting clergy.

The myrrh-streaming Hawaiian-Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, one of the wonderworking icons of the Russian Church Abroad, was brought to the monastery before the beginning of service.

The cemetery church, located behind the monastery cathedral, served as the altar, and the choir and a multitude of worshippers prayed under the open skies.

During Liturgy, special commemorations were made of the reposed archpastors, clergymen, monastics, and laity of the OCA, as well as fallen Orthodox Christian warriors.

After a moleben before the Hawaiian Iveron Icon, the Primates of the two Churches exchanged greetings, expressing their joy at their common service and presenting gifts to each other to mark the occasion.

After the services, the seminary dean hosted the gathered archpastors and delegation of the Russian Church Abroad at his residence. Metropolitan Nicholas then visited the monastery museum and grounds. Venerating the altar table and reliquary of the Righteous Alexis Toth and other relics in the monastery cathedral and bidding farewell to Metropolitan Tikhon, His Eminence departed for Mayfield, PA. That evening, a moleben and akathist were served before the myrrh-streaming icon in St. John the Baptist Cathedral there.

Accompanying His Eminence were Archpriest Serafim Gan (Chancellor of the Synod of Bishops), Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur, and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Jigalin).

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