Primates of Russian Orthodox Church and Orthodox Church in America celebrate Liturgy in Moscow Church of St. Catherine In-the-Fields

On 7th December 2019, commemoration day of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine In-the-Fields – Moscow Representation of the Orthodox Church in America. This year marks the 25th anniversary of establishment of the Representation.

Concelebrating with the Primates were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Ioasaf of Kirovograd and Novomirgorod; Bishop Foma of Pavlovsky Posad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat; Bishop Kliment of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikov; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, Patriarchal secretary for Moscow; Archpriest Nikolai Krechetov, head of the Moskvoretskoye deanery in Moscow; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR vice-chairman; as well as members of the American delegation: Archbishop David of Sitka and Alaska; Archimandrite Andrei (Hoarşte), bishop-elect of Cleveland, auxiliary to the archbishop of the OCA Romanian Episcopate; Archpriest Alexander Rentel, chancellor of the OCA; Archpriest Daniel Andrejuk, rector of the OCA Representation in Moscow; Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, secretary to the OCA Primate; and clerics of the OCA Representation.

Among the concelebrants were also hierarchs and clergy of the Local Orthodox Churches: Bishop Antonije of Moravica, representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archimandrite Feoktist (Dimitrov), representative of the Patriarch of Bulgaria to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; and Archpriest Kakhaber Gogotishvili, cleric of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Praying at the divine service were Protopresbyter Daniel Hubiak, first rector of the OCA Representation in Moscow; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; and a group of clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who had come to Russia on a pilgrimage together with Metropolitan Ioasaf of Kirovograd and Novomirgorod.

Among those present were Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apsotolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation; Mr. Bart Gorman, deputy chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow; Mr. Stephane Jobin, temporary charge d'affaires of Canada in the Russian Federation; Pilot Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko; and Mr. Valery Alexeyev, president of the International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations.

The Liturgy was celebrated in the Church Slavonic and English languages.

At the Litany of Fervent Supplication prayers were lifted up for the unity of the Orthodox Church and preservation of the Church from divisions and schisms.
After the Liturgy His Holiness Patriarch Kirill greeted His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada and all those present.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church in America thanked Patriarch Kirill, saying in response: “Your Holiness, dear brother in Christ, it is a great joy to concelebrate with Your Holiness and our brothers the bishops on the feast of the Great Martyr Catherine, patron of this sacred temple. This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of establishment of the Church of St. Catherine In-the-Fields as the Representation of the Orthodox Church in America to the venerable Russian Orthodox Church. And we give thanks to God for He has allowed this concelebration to take place as a visible sign of unity of our Churches.”

Metropolitan Tikhon expressed his gratitude to Patriarch Kirill for rendering support to the OCA Representation in Moscow.

DECR Communication Service