Fourtieth Day in the Holy Land After the Repose of the First Hierarch of ROCOR

On the day of commemoration of the Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas, June 11/24, forty days had passed since the repose of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York. Episcopal services were served at the Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives and at the Gethsemane Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene. Bishop Theodosius of Seattle served in Gethsemane and Bishop of Manhattan Nicholas officiated at the St. Philaret the Merciful Church on the Mount of Olives. The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), together with the clergy of the Mission, Archimandrite Innokenty (Sereda) and Protodeacon Vyacheslav Batalsky, served with Bp. Nicholas.

After the Divine Liturgy, before the memorial service, Vladyka Nicholas spoke of the character of the loving late shepherd. The protodeacon of the Sydney Cathedral in Australia, Fr. Alexander Kotlyarov (Vl. Hilarion was also the diocesan bishop of the Australian Diocese) and Deacon Stefan Stoyanov from Florida, USA joined in serving the pannyhida. The PaTRAM Male Choir sang the memorial service under the direction of the conductor of the Synodal Choir from New York City, Vadim Gan.