On Monday the 8th and Tuesday the 9th of July, with the blessing of Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, His Grace Theodosius, Bishop of Seattle, paid an archpastoral visit to Our Lady of Tikhvin Church in Howell, NJ, where he officiated the divine services in honor of the church’s patronal feast day.

Serving alongside His Grace were parish clergy and clerics from New York and New Jersey:

• Archimandrite Gabriel (Pigarev; rector of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Vasily Andrejuk (parish cleric)
• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (parish rector)
• Archpriest Luka Novakovic (parish cleric)
• Archpriest Zoran Radovic (rector of St. George Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ)
• Archpriest Boris Slootsky (parish cleric)
• Archpriest Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" Church in Staten Island, NY)
• Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (dean of New York City & Staten Island)
• Abbot Arseny (Manko; rector of Sts. Cosmas & Damian Church in Passaic, 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)
• Archpriest Nikolai Gulin (acting rector of Life-Giving Spring Icon of the Theotokos OCA Mission in Philadelphia, PA)
• Priest Anthony Williams (parish cleric)
• Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski (parish cleric)
• Deacon Alexis Golubov (cleric of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City), and
• Deacon Dimitry Lisan (parish cleric).

A multitude of parishioners gathered for the service, most of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of Liturgy, Bishop Theodosius blessed the church’s newly renovated cupolas.

His Grace greeted all with the feast, after which the rector thanked him, the visiting clergy, and the faithful who had gathered together in church on this festal day to prayerfully honor the Most Holy Theotokos.

A festal luncheon was organized for the clergy and guests in the parish hall, during which interaction between the participants of the feast continued.