CHRIST IS RISEN!

Paschal Days in New York and Nyack

The final days of Passion Week and the beginning of Pascha saw a mulititude of people with great spiritual enthusiasm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign at the Synod of Bishops. The Protectress of the Russian diaspora, the Miracle-working Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God was present at all services, imparting spiritual joy over the Leader and Ideal of our Faith, our Savior, into the hearts of worshipers.

On Great Wednesday, His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan served the final liturgy of the pre-sanctified Gifts, with the singing of the Synodal Choir under the direction of Irina Mozyleva. From Great Thursday until the bright night of the Pascha of the Lord, Vladyka led all services at the Cathedral along with Priests Andrei Sommer, Serafim Gan and Victor Dobroff, along with Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff. The eldest protodeacon of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Protodeacon Eugene Burbelo, a clergyman of the Synodal Cathedral, served at the St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ, during all of Passion Week and Pascha, helping Mitred Protopriest Boris Kizenko.

In his sermon on Great Saturday, His Grace Bishop Gabriel reminded everyone that this day must be observed in silence, prayer and thoughts of God, with trepidation awaiting the arrival of the holiday when the victory of Christ over hell, the victory of Life over death. Blessing of the kuliches in the lower church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, began at 5 p.m. on Great Saturday and ended at 11 a.m. the morning of Pascha. Faithful from all over New York gathered at the Synodal Cathedral to have their Paschal food blessed and to greet the holiday. The joyous singing of the Synodal Cathedral aided the prayerful and elated mood of the worshipers, who partook of Communion from three chalices. At the end of the services, the clergy, administrators and parishioners gathered in the church hall, where a short Paschal service was performed before the Kursk-Root Protectress, at the end of which the eldest priest of the Cathedral, Fr. Andrei Sommer, greeted Bishop Gabriel with the Pascha of the Lord, following which the Sisterhood gave a splendid feast. During the trapeze feast, many greetings were read. In his greeting, Vladyka Gabriel congratulated all with the “feast of feasts,” wishing all to preserve the Paschal joy, which confirms in all faithful the truth of Orthodoxy.

The following day, Vladyka Gabriel led the Great Paschal vespers along with Priests Andrei Sommer, Serafim Gan, Alexander Botschagow and Victor Dobroff. After the veneration of the cross, the clergy, administration, choir and parishioners went to Vladyka’s chambers on the third floor of the Synod building, where they congratulated His Grace.

On the second day of Pascha, Vladyka Gabriel celebrated liturgy at Holy Protection Church in Nyack, NY, along with its Rector, Mitred Protopriest George Larin, Protopriest Elias Gorsky and Priest Serafim Gan, along with the parish clergyman Deacon Dimitri Temidis, many altar-boys and a great confluence of worshipers. By tradition, there is a procession of the Cross at the church specially for children of the parish and of the Russian School, all of whom participate (photo: Bishop Gabriel and clergy and children of Protection Church in Nyack). During Paschal hours, Vladyka Gabriel ordained as a reader servant of God Dimitry Chertkoff, grandson of the renowned priests of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Protopriests Seraphim Slobodskoy and Protopriest Sergei Chertkoff. After the veneration of the Cross, the clergy, headed by Bishop Gabriel, singing “Christ is Risen,” went to the church hall, where the hardworking and selfless parish sisterhood offered a trapeze feast, after which an “egg roll” was organized.

Vladyka thanked the sisterhood and blessed the parishioners of Protection Church, and departed for the “Lavra of the Diaspora,” Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, where he greeted His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus and the brethren of the monastery on the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ and participated in the services on the third day of Pascha. On the Sunday of Apostle Thomas, Vladyka plans to serve at the Synodal Cathedral, and on the week of the Myrrh-bearing Women, he will travel to Munich for the regular session of the Synod of Bishops.

Let us wish His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan strength, health and future success and God’s help in his difficult labors. May Christ the Life-giver illumine the clergymen and parishioners of the Synodal Cathedral and Protection Church in Nyack.

Priest Serafim Gan