New York, October 8, 2014
The celebrations dedicated to the anniversary of repose of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh took place at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Howell, New Jersey). The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Archpriest Sergy Lukyanov, rector of the cathedral and secretary of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR).
Honorary Rector of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Protopresbyter Valery Lukyanov; priests and deacons from New York and other diocese’s parishes, including Dean of the First New York Deanery, Rector of the Church of St. John the Baptist Archpriest Alexander Belya; Rector of the Church of St. Joasaph of Belgorod Archpriest Boris Oparin; cleric of the Church of Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Archpriest Peter Kunitsky as well as priests and deacons of the neighboring parishes concelebrated with him.
After the Liturgy the participants of the festivities greeted Archpriest Sergy Lukyanov on his name day, prayed for the clergymen and parishioners with the name “Sergei” and then held a procession of the cross to the “Rodina” (“Motherland”) Russian house where in the public garden they consecrated the monument to St. Sergius of Radonezh, whose holy name on that feast-day was more than once uttered with reverence at the cathedral.
While consecrating the monument, secretary of the Eastern America and New York Diocese Archpriest Sergy Lukyanov noted that even after the lapse of seven centuries the life and Christian virtues of Venerable Sergius had not lost their greatness. And today he, as before, remains a model of the Christian spirit, courage and dedicated service to the Lord, indeed becoming not only the Abbot of All Russia, of the Orthodox Christians abroad, but also of all the Slavs.
