Head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad visits the USA

On 23-30 April 2018, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad, was on a working visit in the United States.

On April 24, accompanied by Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA, Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest visited the Patriarchal complex in Pine Bush, New York. Archpriest Nokolai Babijtchouk, rector of the parish, told Vladyka Antony how the Church of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land and an Orthodox cemetery nearby had been established, and acquainted him with today’s life of the parish.

Later that day Archbishop Antony arrived in the Monastery of the Great Martyr Demetrios of Thessaloniki in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he venerated the local shrines and met with the brethren.

On April 27, accompanied by Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk and Archpriest Andrey Kovalev, rector of the Church of St. Gregory the Theologian in Tampa, Florida, Archbishop Antony visited the Orthodox Assisted Living Home in Clearwater, established under the auspices of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA in 2017. Mr. Peter Schweitzer, director of the facility, acquainted Vladyka Antony with the work of the institution. Vladyka Antony conveyed to its staff and residents the blessings and well wishes from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

In the afternoon of the same day, Archbishop Antony visited the Church of St. Gregory the Theologian in Tampa, where the restoration work is underway to repair a damage inflicted by a hurricane in 2004.

On April 29, the Fourth Sunday after Pascha, Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York. Concelebrating with His Eminence were Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA, Archpriest Igor Tarasov, chancellor of the Patriarchal parishes, and the local clergy.

The Gospel reading was followed by a homily delivered by Archbishop Antony. After the Litany of Fervent Supplication the archpastor said a prayer for peace in Ukraine.

After the Liturgy Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk greeted the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad, thanked him for the joy of shared prayer and asked him to convey to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill the filial gratitude from the clergy and laypeople of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA for taking Primatial care of the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church in America.

Archbishop Antony conveyed to Bishop John, the clergy and laypeople of the Patriarchal parishes the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and on behalf of His Holiness thanked the clergy and the flock for their work for the good of the Russian Orthodox Church.

During a brotherly repast that followed Vladyka Antony discussed with Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Archpriest Igor Tarasov and members of the Episcopal council some issues related to the activities of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA.

On April 30, to conclude his visit to the United States, Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest met with the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York. They were joined in the meeting, which took place at the residence of the First Hierarch in New York, by Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA, and Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American diocese.

The hierarchs discussed various issues of cooperation between the diocesan structures and parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad in the regions where they together take spiritual care of the Russian emigres, and expressed their satisfaction over the development of fraternal, trust-based relations between hierarchs and clergy of the two parts of one Russian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Hilarion asked Archbishop Antony to convey gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for his paternal concern for the needs of the Orthodox faithful living abroad.

Vladyka Antony congratulated Metropolitan Hilarion on the forthcoming 10^th anniversary of his ministry as First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate reports, citing the website of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA.

DECR Communication Service

Photo from website of Patriarchal parishes in the USA