On Sunday, September 5/18, at the Synodal Cathedral “of the Sign” of the Mother of God in New York City, the enthronement of the new First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Nikolai, took place. At the Bishops’ Council, Bishop Nicholas (Olkhovsky) of Manhattan was elected primate and appointed to the “widowed” see of the Eastern American Diocese, replacing the late Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral), who died on May 5/18 of this year.

On Saturday evening, after the all-night vigil, Bishop Nicholas was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. The oldest ROCOR hierarchs, Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany and Archbishop Kirill of San Francisco and Western America presented Vl. Nicholas with a blue mantia and white klobuk.

On Sunday, before the divine service, the entire Bishops’ Council with a host of clergy met the new First Hierarch. After the vestment, the eldest ROCOR clergyman, Archimandrite Roman (Krasovsky), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, presented the second panagia, which Metropolitan Mark laid upon the First Hierarch.

Following to the Divine Liturgy, the bishops handed presented the bishop’s staff as a sign of his new service.

Many years to the new First Hierarch, Metropolitan Nicholas.

 

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