Between sessions of the sixth joint meeting of the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and of the Moscow Patriarchate being held in Nyack, NY, from February 17-20, Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany visited St Seraphim Church in Sea Cliff, NY. There he officiated at Sunday's Divine Liturgy along with the Rector of Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Los Angeles, CA, Mitred Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, the Secretary of the ROCOR Commission; member of the same Commission Protopriest Nikolai Artemoff, Secretary of the German Diocese; Protopriest Peter Holodny, Treasurer of the Synod of Bishops; Rector of St Seraphim Church Priest Serafim Gan; and Protopriest Victor Boldewskul of Epiphany Chuch in Roslindale (Boston), MA; along with Protodeacon Paul Wolkow and Protodeacon Thomas Reske. Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), Prior of Sretensky Stavropighial Monastery in Moscow, prayed in the altar during Liturgy. Archbishop Mark delivered a thoughtful sermon, and the Parish Rector, Fr Serafim, welcomed His Eminence before the veneration of the cross.

Protodeacon Paul then intoned "Eternal Memory" to the late Bishop Mitrofan (Znosko-Borovsky, +2002), the long-time Parish Rector, who died on the Presentation of the Lord.

After a commemorative trapeza organized by the parish sisterhood under the direction of AN Ryl, His Eminence and Fr Tikhon spoke. Vladyka Mark shared his recollections of Vladyka Mitrofan and discussed the progress of the talks with the Moscow Patriarchate, and Fr Tikhon spoke about the Church in Russia and the life and work of Sretensky Monastery, its publishing arm and seminary. The parishioners then posed questions which were answered in detail.

See photos of the event at www.stseraphimschurch.org .