NEW YORK: December 17, 2014
A Regular Session of the Synod of Bishops is Held

On Tuesday, December 9, 2014, the feast day of St Innocent of Irkutsk, a regular session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held at the First Hierarch�s residence in New York.

The meeting commenced after the hierarchs prayed at Divine Liturgy at St Sergius Chapel in the Synodal headquarters. Participating in the session, which was chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, were: His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe; His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland; His Grace Bishop George of Mayfield and His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan.

Metropolitan Hilarion welcomed the archpastors in his keynote address and announced the agenda.

Having heard the report by Archbishop Gabriel on the results of the meeting with the Russian Orthodox Church on coordinating the Church calendar, and on the finances of the Synod of Bishops, the archpastors then appointed Deacon Michael Wengrin as Acting Treasurer. The Synod then heard and confirmed the proposed schedule of travels for 2015 of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" presented by Bishop Nicholas.

Archbishop Michael�s report drew a great deal of interest, during which he discussed the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the territory of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who participated in the consecration of the memorial plaque to Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of blessed memory, the first Primate of ROCOR, in Sremsky Karlovci, Serbia.

Archimandrite Luke (Murianka) then reported on the translation of the remains of Bishop Constantine (Essensky) of blessed memory to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. The Synod thanked Fr Luke for his efforts in this matter.

Upon hearing a report on the matter of Hieromonk Innocent (Johnson) and the recommendation of the Spiritual Court of the Eastern American Diocese, the Synod confirmed the decision to defrock the clergyman

Other administrative matters were then discussed, as well as intercessions by the Synod members for ecclesiastical awards to clergymen and laity in their respective dioceses.

The Synod session concluded with feast-day celebrations at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady �of th Sign� and of the 30th anniversary of the episcopal consecration of Metropolitan Hilarion.