BELGRADE: June 11, 2024
A delegation of the Russian Church Abroad arrives in Belgrade

Early on Tuesday morning, June 11, 2024, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, accompanying the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign," arrived in Belgrade.

Greeted at Nikola Tesla Airport by His Grace Bishop Isihije of Valjevo and His Grace Bishop Nektarije of Britain and Ireland, the miraculous icon was brought to the Serbian Patriarchate.

On the same day, Metropolitan Nicholas toured the Patriarchal Cathedral of St Sava, venerated its shrines, and ascended the central dome of this temple, one of the largest churches in the Orthodox world.

His Eminence met and had a brief conversation with His Eminence Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, who had arrived here for the celebrations of the Ascension of the Lord, the "Slava of Belgrade.” His Eminence and his entourage then met with the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the cathedral parish house for a luncheon: Bishop Isihije, His Grace Bishop Alexy of Hvosno and His Grace Bishops Dositej of Lipljan, after which Metropolitan Nicholas gave a long interview shown on Serbian television.

On the evening of the same day, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia visited Archangel Michael Cathedral and the Museum of the History of the Serbian Orthodox Church, located at the Patriarchate. Then the members of the delegation went to the Kalemegdan Fortress, where His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia received a reception in Ružica.

Metropolitan Nicholas is accompanied by members of the Synod of Bishops: His Eminence Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany, His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, His Eminence Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America, His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe, His Grace Bishop Job of Stuttgart, as well as Protopriest Serafim Gan, Chancellor of the Synod of Bishops and Secretary of the First Hierarch of ROCOR, as well as Archpriest Luka Novakovic and Archpriest Ljubo Milosevic, clerics of the Eastern American Diocese, Secretary of the Diocese of Mid-America, Archpriest Gregory Joyce, and Reader George Konev.