Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany Performed Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Monastery

On Saturday morning, January 29, His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany performed Divine Liturgy in the priestly rite in the lower Church of St Sergius at the Synod of Bishops, after which, along with a clergyman of the Synodal Cathedral, headed for Holy Trinity Monastery.

There, Archbishop Mark was warmly greeted by Archimandrite Luke, the Prior of the monastery, and the senior monk, Hegumen George, offering a trapeza repast to Vladyka. The following morning, Archbishop Mark officiated at Divine Liturgy; serving with His Eminence were Archimandrite Flor, Archimandrite Luke, Hegumen George, Hieromonk Andrei, Priest Serafim Gan, Hieromonk Evtikhii, Priest Paul Ivanov, Hieromonk Evfimii, Hieromonk Parfenii and Hieromonk Nikolai along with Protodeacon John Onopko, Hierodeacon Kyprian, Deacon Seraphim Chemodakov and Deacon Serge Ledkovsky. Standing in the altar and communing of the Holy Gifts were Archimandrite Job, a long-time resident of the monastery. The merged choir of the monastics and seminarians sang very prayerfully under the direction of Hieromonk Roman (Krassovsky).

At the end of the service, Archbishop Mark addressed the monastic brethren, seminarians and worshipers with a deeply-emotional sermon, in which he laid out the primary message of the Epistle reading on this feast day of St Anthony the Great, and at the end of trapeza, Archimandrite Luke greeted His Eminence and on behalf of all the brethren thanked His Eminence for conducting the service and for the edifying sermon, expressing joy at the common prayer led by the archpastor from Germany. In his response, Archbishop Mark invoked God's blessing upon the monks, wishing them God's help in bearing their monastic labors, and asked for their holy prayers.

Then Archbishop Mark met with visitors in the cell afforded to him and spoke with members of his flock from the German Diocese, after which he met with a group of Serbian seminarians under Bishop Longin at the cell of Nikolai Kostur, a fifth-year student at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville. Afterwards, accompanied by bell-ringing, His Eminence Archbishop Mark departed for New York. On the way, His Eminence decided to stop by in Nyack, NY, where he spent some time with Mitred Protopriest George Larin and the clergy of Holy Virgin Protection Church.