On July 12, the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, and the day when the Holy Church honors the Holy Preeminent Apostles Peter & Paul, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. Concelebrating with His Eminence were cathedral dean Archpriest Andrei Sommer, Archpriest George Lapardin (dean of Sts. Peter & Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Sydney, Australia), Archpriest Seraphim Chemodakov, Hieromonk Theognost (Kogan), and Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky (cathedral clerics).

The choir sang beautifully under the direction of conductor Vadim S. Gan.

Liturgy was celebrated under the aegis of the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora – the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

Many parishioners, believers from other churches, and numerous children prayed at Liturgy. Most of the worshippers communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas greeted all with the feast and addressed the faithful with a sermon, in which he urged them to share the Word of God with the people around us:

"In the Apostle Peter, we see an image of repentance, while in the Apostle Paul, we see an image of spiritual enlightenment. In those terrible moments, despite his promises to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter denied and abandoned Him; yet later, he returned and wept bitterly. The Lord – a loving Father and a loving Shepherd – called upon the Apostle Peter after His Resurrection from the dead and asked three times, ‘Lovest thou Me?’ and the Apostle Peter replied, ‘Thou knowest that I love Thee.’ And the Lord forgave him, showed him mercy, and fully restored him to his apostolic dignity.

"The Apostle Paul received an excellent education. His parents invested great effort in his schooling to give their son what they themselves had not possessed. Paul became a scholar and a preacher. Before embracing Christianity, Paul persecuted Christians; he stood by when Archdeacon Stephen was put to death. Yet, during his journey to Damascus, the Lord brought him to spiritual understanding; the Apostle heeded this call and steadfastly confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of God. He preached in Rome, Greece, and Jerusalem; we read his magnificent epistles daily and see within them examples of repentance and spiritual enlightenment.

"As a loving Father, the Lord asks each of us when we sin: ‘Lovest thou Me?’ Let us answer rightly and offend our God no more."

Metropolitan Nicholas welcomed Fr. George Lapardin and presented him with a jeweled cross.

A meal was served in the cathedral hall, where the clergy and the faithful continued their fellowship.