Archbishop
Evgenii of Verey Visits the Synod of Bishops and Holy Sites of the
Eastern American Diocese
At the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, the Rector
of Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, the President of the Education
Committee of the Moscow Patriarchate and Rector of Moscow Theological
Academy, Archbishop Evgenii of Verey, arrived on October 21, 2004.
That day, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus welcomed Vladyka Evgenii
in his residence at Holy Trinity Monastery. The Dean of the Seminary,
Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), and the Assistant Dean, Deacon Vladimir
Tsurikov, were also present. It was noted that the visit of Archbishop
Evgenii to Jordanville was the first visit by a bishop of the Moscow
Patriarchate to the ecclesio-theological center of the Russian Church
Abroad.
From October 22-23, Archbishop Evgenii, along with Hieromonk Evfimii
(Moiseev), a teacher of Moscow Theological Academy, participated
in the conference entitled "Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra in
Russian History and Culture," hosted by Holy Trinity Seminary
in Jordanville. Archbishop Evgenii read a lecture on the 190th anniversary
of the existence of Moscow Theological Academy within the walls
of the "great cell of the Hegumen of the Russian Land"
[St Sergius of Radonezh]. His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland officiated
at the monastery services.
On Monday, October 25, Archbishop Evgenii, accompanied by Hieromonk
Evfimii and Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov, visited St Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral in Lakewood, NJ, where he was greeted by Protopriest Sergei
Lukianov of that Cathedral and by Synodal Protodeacon Eugene Burbelo.
Showing the holy icons of the Cathedral and of Tikhvin Church, on
the property of the Cathedral, Fr Sergei invited the guests to lunch,
during which the clergymen were able to spend some time with Vladyka
Evgenii. Bidding goodbye to Fr Sergei, the visitors headed for the
Memorial Church of St Vladimir on "Vladimir Hill" in Jackson,
NJ, where they venerated the crypts in the lower church of Archbishop
Vitaly (Maximenko, +1960) and Archbishop Nikon (Rklitsky, +1976),
and walked through the local cemetery.
That evening, Archbishop Evgenii went to New York, where His Eminence
Metropolitan Laurus and the members of the Synod of Bishops hosted
a dinner in honor of the visitors at the Synodal hall, organized
by the Cathedral Sisterhood headed by T.V. Galitzine. During the
trapeza luncheon, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, Archbishop Mark
of Berlin and Germany and Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and
Western America expressed their greetings to Archbishop Evgenii.
Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan greeted the First Hierarch, wishing
His Eminence God's help in his difficult service. Protopriest Alexander
Lebedeff, the Secretary of the Committee on discussions with the
Moscow Patriarchate, noted that the third anniversary of the election
of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus as the First Hierarch of the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was fast approaching,
expressing heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the priests present.
Protopriest Andrei Sommer, the Senior Priest of the Synodal Cathedral,
presented Vladyka Evgenii and Fr Evfimii with icons of St John (Maximovich,
+1966) as gifts from the Cathedral's priests.
The following morning, Archbishop Evgenii and Hieromonk Evfimii,
Priest Serafim Gan and Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov visited Holy Virgin
Protection Church in Nyack, where Mitred Protopriest George Larin
has been Rector for 35 years. He warmly greeted Vladyka and showed
the visitors his church, the library, the parish school and the
large parish hall. Vladyka also visited the nursery which is held
every Tuesday at the parish. The rector then offered them lunch,
prepared by his matushka, E.Yu. Larina, after which Protopriest
Alexander Fedorowsky welcomed the guests at Novo-Diveevo Stavropighial
Convent. Here the guests venerated the portrait of St Seraphim of
Sarov, painted during the holy man's lifetime, and other holy icons
of this convent, which was founded by Protopresbyter Adrian Rymarenko
(later Archbishop Andrei of Rockland), a spiritual child of Elder
Nektarii of Optina; they also viewed the monastery cemetery, where
famous ecclesiastical and societal figures of the Russian diaspora
are buried, and visited the large Russian nursing home.
At 4 o'clock, the Director of the famous New York Public Library,
one of the largest libraries in the world, together with the Director
of the Slavic Department and other colleagues of the Library welcomed
His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, Archbishop Mark, Archbishop Evgenii,
Bishop Michael, Protopriests Alexander Lebedeff, Protopriest Nikolai
Artemoff and Protopriest Andrei Sommer, Reader Nicholas Olhovsky,
the cell-attendant of the First Hierarch, and others. The visitors
were shown the technology of the Library, its the Reading Room,
explained sponsor financing and showed them the Library's holdings.
They showed them a few exhibitions, and also showed how they were
able to expand their holdings with limited space. A small exhibit
was organized especially for the visit, at which, in part, were
shown very rare photographs of Holy Trinity Lavra of the second
half of the 19th century, and also descriptions of Carpathian Russia,
the homeland of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus. In addition, materials
from the archives of Elizabeth Hapgood were shown, consisting of
correspondence with the Ober-Procurator of the Holy Synod, K.P.
Pobedonostsev, and with many other bishops of the Russian Church.
Letters written by St Patriarch Tikhon were shown, along with an
album sent to her as a gift for her work in translating liturgical
texts into the English language, with a dedication by Royal Martyr
Alexandra Feodorovna, and other items. Exhibited also were compendia
of other symposia organized at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville.
At the reception that followed, the Museum Director gave His Eminence
Metropolitan Laurus and Archbishop Evgenii two books of published
archival material from the Library. The constructive cooperation
between the Library and Holy Trinity-St Serbius Lavra and with Holy
Trinity Seminary were noted during the speeches.
That evening a dinner was offered at the Synodal hall, again organized
by the Sisterhood, during which His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus,
the members of the Synod of Bishops and the clergymen bid farewell
to Archbishop Evgenii and Hieromonk Evfimii, who, together with
Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov, departed the following day to Alaska,
and then on to California, where meetings will be held with His
Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America
and the clergy of the Cathedral of the Mother of God "Joy of
All Who Sorrow" in San Francisco and Holy Transfiguratin Cathedral
in Los Angeles, and other parishes of the Diocese.
![](../../images/people/01vtsu.jpg)
Metropolitan
Laurus greets Archbishop Evgenii at Holy Trinity Monastery.
![](../../images/people/02vtsu.jpg)
Archbishop
Evgenii addresses the participants of the Conference after having
received the gift of an icon of St Job of Pochaev from Holy Trinity
Seminary.
|