NEW YORK: September 25, 2017
Epistle of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, On the 150th Anniversary of the Consecration of Elevation of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Geneva

From the Editors: On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, the feast day of the Elevation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, the 150th anniversary of the cathedral in Geneva dedicated to that holiday will be celebrated.

EPISTLE
of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia,
to His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe,
the Clergy, Parishioners and Worshipers of Elevation of the Cross Cathedral in Geneva.

Your Eminence, Vladyko! Dear in the Lord Reverend Fathers,
Parishioners and Worshipers of Elevation of the Cross Cathedral:

I prayerfully participate with you in the divine services marking the 150th anniversary of the consecration of our official cathedral in Geneva, located in one of the highest points of the city, adorned with glistening gold cupolas, and with a warm heart I congratulate all the participants of this glorious celebration!

Just as during the laying of the foundation of this church in 1863, members of the Russian Imperial House were in attendance along with representatives of other Royal Houses and local government officials, so are there esteemed guests honoring this jubilee celebration along with a multitude of worshipers, for which I am grateful to God. I thank God, too, that He lent assistance to us sinners to preserve this holy site for Orthodox Christian faithful who seek eternal salvation in the Church of Christ. This is due to the great contributions to the Bartoshevich brother hierarchs: Archbishop Anthony and Bishop Leonty; Protopresbyter Serge Orlov; Protopriest Nikolai Samkov; their late assistants and the present-day clergy and parish officials.

Dear fathers, brothers and sisters, we celebrate important anniversaries not only for their own sake, but in order to remember where we come from, to humbly lift our prayers of gratitude to God for the seeds our predecessors sowed which matured and brought forth fruit. In this joint prayer of thanks to God, in our prayers for those who have reposed, in prayers for our present and future, and in communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, in commemoration of the reposed, in preparation for the celebrations themselves we must seek renewal of resolve for our future fruitful service in this holy place. That is why I appeal to you today, fervently wishing that just as a flame is ignited like a lampada from a candle, so we are sparked with the blessed power of today’s celebrations!

May the Holy Hierarch Bishop John (Maximovich), who more than once lifted his arms in prayer in this holy temple, be an intercessor for the renewal of our entire lives and our entire life’s path of service to God and mankind! May this be our prayer on “this day that the Lord has made.” Amen.

With love in the Lord,
+ HILARION,
Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Elevation of the Holy Cross, 2017.