On Wednesday, July 8, and Thursday, July 9, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York paid an archpastoral visit to Our Lady of Tikhvin Church in Howell, NJ, and officiated the divine services in honor of the parish's patronal feast.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were clergy from the parish and New York & New Jersey:

• Archpriest Vasily Andrejuk (parish cleric)
• Archpriest Serge Lukianov (parish rector)
• Archpriest David Straut (rector of St. Elizabeth the New-Martyr Church in Rocky Hill, NJ)
• Archpriest Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" Church on Staten Island, NY)
• Archpriest Paul Ivanov (rector of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn, NY)
• Archpriest Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Protection Church in New Brunswick, NJ)
• Archpriest Serge Ledkovsky (deputy rector of St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ)
• Archpriest Nicholas Manduke (cleric of the Memorial Church)
• Priest Patrick Hinds (cleric of St. Elizabeth the New-Martyr Church)
• Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski (parish cleric)
• Protodeacon Alexandre Sarandinaki (parish cleric), and
• Deacon Dumitru LiĹźan (parish cleric).

At the Hours, Metropolitan Nicholas tonsured three altar servers of the parish – Luke Magnetti, Gabriel Almeida, and Ryan Castellanos – as readers.

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

Following Liturgy, His Eminence greeted everyone with the feast and addressed them with a sermon, in which he said, in part:

"We rejoice that, during the Apostles’ Fast, we have the opportunity to once again glorify the Mother of God and offer up prayers, knowing that we have a Heavenly Protectress – someone so needed in our times.

"Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) blessed the construction of this church and prayed that an Orthodox church community would flourish here. He sowed the seeds, but he did not stop there. He continued to pray, labor, and place his trust in God, demonstrating through his own example how one should conduct oneself – both as a minister and as an Orthodox Christian.

"According to tradition, the Tikhvin Icon was painted by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. It was originally in Constantinople, but by the 14th century, the holy icon had appeared in Russia, on the waters of Lake Ladoga. After the 1917 revolution, the icon endured a long journey of displacement, but it now resides in a monastery in Tikhvin. There is a special copy of the Tikhvin Icon in Chicago, and we have our own image – the ‘royal icon.’

"The Mother of God desires to be part of our lives. By coming to God’s church and observing the feast days, we fulfill her precepts and become part of the Mother of God’s own family. And under the omophorion of the Mother of God, we gain so much more, finding spiritual nourishment in prayer and in this beautiful mantle of protection."

The rector thanked Metropolitan Nicholas, the visiting clergy, and the faithful who had gathered in the church on this festive day to join in prayer and honor the Queen of Heaven.

A festal meal was held in the parish hall for the clergy and guests, allowing the participants to continue their fellowship.