On November 30, the 25th Sunday after Pentecost, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Church of the Nativity of Christ & St. Nicholas in Florence, Italy, by the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, together with His Grace Irenei, Bishop of London & Western Europe. Concelebrating with the hierarchs were the pious clergy of Florence: rector Archpriest Georgy Blatynski, Priest Oleg Turcan, and Deacon Rustik Prisacaru, together with Deacon Oleg Petrov from the Menton Parish in France, who was ordained in the Florentine church.
At the Little Entrance, a special moment of recognition befell Fr. Georgy on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Bishop Irenei had requested of the Synod of Bishops that the right to wear the miter be bestowed upon him in honor of his long years of service, as well as life. His Grace conveyed a beautiful miter – a gift from the parishioners – to the First Hierarch, who laid it upon Fr. Georgy’s head with the traditional blessing. With real joy, the clergy and faithful cried out "Axios!", warmly celebrating the dignity bestowed upon Fr. Georgy, who has done so much for the life of the Florentine parish, as well as the broader cause of Orthodoxy in Italy.
Liturgy preceded in solemnity, beautifully sung by the parish choir under the direction of Ksenia Astapenko.
At its conclusion, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the faithful with a homily, and expressed his pastoral love for the city and its pious people. The special prayer for the start of the Nativity Fast was offered up by the First Hierarch, and relics of St. John the Wonderworker were enshrined in the church.
A banquet followed the divine services, at which the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful continued their spiritual interaction, and many warm words were exchanged in honor of Fr. Georgy’s clerical award and personal anniversary.
