EASTERN AMERICAN DIOCESE: September 23, 2013
St Seraphim Parish, Celebrating its 60th Anniversary, Memorializes Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Laurus

On Sunday, September 15, 2013, on the eve of the feast-day celebrations of St Seraphim Church in Sea Cliff, NY, a memorial plaque to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Laurus was blessed. The plaque marks the special status of the church, which in 2012 became the first Memorial Church to the Reestablishment of Unity Within the Russian Orthodox Church. After the ceremony, the parish sisterhood offered a traditional shashlik luncheon, organized by Elizabeth Miheyev.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Protopriest Serafim Gan, the parish rector, the parish council and sisterhood announce the celebration of the parish’s 60 th anniversary on October 12 , on the 20 th anniversary of the uncovering of the incorrupt relics of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco.

Fr Serafim invites all parishioners, relatives and friends to fervent prayer at Divine Liturgy on that day, when the frescoed images of the reestablishment of unity within the Russian Orthodox Church and the historic path of the Russian Church Abroad will be consecrated. The greeting of Metropolitan Hilarion—who will officiate at Divine Liturgy, along with clergymen visiting from abroad and neighboring parishes—will take place at 9:30 am .

After the services, a reception will be held at the Swan Club. In addition to speeches made by the First Hierarch, Fr Serafim, Alexei Slobodskoy and others, a short performance by the parish choir is scheduled, and awards given to those who helped in the endeavor. Tickets are $65 for adults, $45 for children. For further information, contact: emmiheyev@gmail.com or shohov@aol.com.

An anniversary album will be published dedicated to the history of St Seraphim Parish and the Russian presence in Sea Cliff, as well as a video with rare footage of St John of Shanghai, Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribansovsky, +1966), Archbishop Averky (Taushev, +1976), Hierodeacon Laurus (Shkurla, future First Hierarch of ROCOR), Bishop Mitrophan (Znosko-Borovsky, +2002), and other eminent figures of the Russian diaspora.