Moscow, December 8, 2025
L to R: Bp. Gerasim, Met. Niphon, Met. Anthony, Abp. Irénée. Photo: ocapodvorie.ru
Hierarchs and clergy of six Orthodox jurisdictions united in Moscow on December 6-7 to celebrate the feast of St. Catherine the Great Martyr at the Church of St. Catherine, which serves as the representation of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate.
On the evening of December 6, His Eminence Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa and Canada (Orthodox Church in America) led the All-Night Vigil with the reading of the akathist to St. Catherine. He was joined by His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth, vicar of the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America, along with parish rector Archpriest Daniel Andrejuk and several other clergy, including Deacon Daniel Semenov of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the church reports.
On December 7, the feast day itself, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations apresided at the Divine Liturgy. He was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch to the Patriarch of Moscow, and the OCA hierarchs Abp. Irénée of Ottawa and Bp. Gerasim of Fort Worth.
They were also joined by Fr. Miron Kanteladze of the Georgian representation church in Moscow and Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky) of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia representation church.
The new iconostasis. Photo: ocapodvorie.ru
Before the Divine Liturgy began, Met. Anthony consecrated the parish’s new iconostasis, which had been restored according to historical models.
The Divine services were celebrated in Church Slavonic, English, and Georgian.
After the Divine Liturgy, Bp. Gerasim read a congratulatory address from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada on the occasion of the patronal feast and consecration of the iconostasis.
Met. Anthony thanked rector Fr. Daniel, noting his efforts to preserve and strengthen church unity and beautify the church.
The celebration also marked the 100th anniversary of the last Divine service celebrated by Hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsy, at the Church of St. Catherine. Several days later, on the night of December 9-10, 1925, Metropolitan Peter was arrested, beginning his path to martyrdom that ended with his death in 1937. By God’s mercy, the consecration of the iconostasis was performed on this commemorative date.
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