On Thursday, December 25, the feast of the Holy Hierarch Spyridon of Tremithus and Venerable Herman of Alaska, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Albany, NY. Having officiated at the All-Night Vigil the evening prior, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad was greeted at the doors of the church with the traditional bread and salt.

Concelebrating with His Eminence at the divine services were Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada and Bishop Luke of Syracuse, as well as:

• Archpriest Peter Perekrestov (dean of Our Lady “Joy of all who Sorrow” Diocesan Cathedral in San Francisco, CA)
• Archpriest Michael Fritz (parish cleric)
• Archpriest David Straut (rector of Saint Elizabeth the New-Martyr Church in Rocky Hill, NJ)
• Archpriest Alexis Duncan (parish rector)
• Archpriest George Lagodich (dean of St. Nicholas Diocesan Cathedral in Montreal, QC)
• Archpriest Michael Crowley (dean of New England)
• Archpriest Brendan Crowley (rector of St. Nicholas Church in Enfield, CT)
• Archpriest Pavel Ivanov (rector of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Michael Metni (cleric of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal)
• Archpriest Alexis Pjawka (rector of Holy Protection Memorial Church in Ottawa, ON)
• Archpriest John Johnson (rector of St. Thecla Church in Wheaton, MD)
• Priest Damian Dantinne (cleric of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC)
• Priest Andrew Podymow (cleric of Holy Protection Church in Nyack, NY)
• Priest Nathan Williams (chaplain of St. Luke the Evangelist Chapel at Paideia Classical Academy in Coconut Creek, FL)
• Priest Jeremiah Davis (cleric of St. Matrona Church in Lexington, KY)
• Priest Steven Mitchell (rector of Ascension of Christ Church in Wentworth, MO)
• Protodeacon Michael Soloviev (parish cleric)
• Protodeacon Nikifor Franklin (parish cleric)
• Protodeacon Andrei Garine (cleric of Holy Dormition Church in McKeesport, PA)
• Deacon Seraphim Andov (cleric of Our Lady of Iveron Church in Honolulu, HI), and
• Deacon Leonid Volchok (cleric of Holy Myrrhbearers Church).

The service was held under the aegis of the wonderworking Kursk Root and Myrrh-Streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icons of the Mother of God.

Participating at Liturgy were attendees of the 46th Annual St. Herman Youth Conference. A large choir of conference participants sang marvelously under the direction of Reader Elias Dubelsten.

Before Holy Communion, Fr. Alexis Pjawka delivered a sermon on the life of Venerable Herman of Alaska.

Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas greeted Archbishop Gabriel, Bishop Luke, the gathered clergy, and conference participants, urging them to remain steadfast in the Holy Orthodox Faith.

A group photograph was taken of all participants, who then gathered in the parish hall for a bountiful luncheon. All assembled thanked the parish sisterhood and brotherhood for their tireless labors during the days of the conference.

Following the lunch, the clergy assembled into a panel, during which they heard pressing ecclesiastical, social, and moral issues questions concerning the youth.

Upon returning to the hotel, the young men and women separated into two lectures presented by Fr. Andrew Podymow and Nadia Pavlenko, for the various topics particular to men and women, respectively.

The conference was made possible by a generous grant from the Fund for Assistance (FFA) to ROCOR, which has been faithfully supporting the three St. Herman Conferences held every year in December: on the East Coast, in the Midwest, and on the West Coast, as well as by donations from the Eastern American Diocese and several parishes, who support this work with the youth with an open heart.