DIOCESE OF EASTERN AMERICA AND NEW YORK: September 23, 2016
His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York leads 60th Birthday Celebrations of Protopriest Alexander Belya

On September 2, 2016, a conference titled “The Spiritual and Historical Bonds between Carpathian Russia and America,” which opened the celebration of the 60th birthday of Protopriest Alexander Belya, Rector of St John the Forerunner church in Brooklyn, NY, and the Dean of the First Deanery of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

In addition to His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of ROCOR, at the presidium were His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher of Prague and the Czech Lands and His Eminence Archbishop Nikodim of Zhitomirsk and Novograd-Volynia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Christopher, who is a professor at the University of Presov who teaches theology and philosophy, delivered a lecture titled “The Spiritual Life and Missionary Work of St German of Alaska, Illuminator of America.” Afterwards, Fr Alexander, who himself has a doctorate in theology, read a speech on “Christian Aspects of Philosophical Anthropology.”

The next day, Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated Divine Liturgy at St John Church in Brooklyn. He was joined by Metropolitan Christopher; Archbishop Nikodim; His Grace Bishop Savva of North America (Georgian Orthodox Church); His Grace Bishop Jerome (Shaw); Fr Alexander; Archimandrite Alexander (Belya), Dean of the Florida Deanery of the Eastern American Diocese and Rector of St Matrona of Moscow Church in Miami, FL; Archimandrite Yuvenaly (Ripas), Chief of the Orthodox Mission in Guatemala (Orthodox Church in America); Protopriest Mark Burachek, Rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ; Protopriest Peter Zgoba of the Church of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in Staten Island, NY; Protopriest Vasily Yurin, Rector of St Basil the Great Church in Irshava (Mukachevsk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Protopriest Nikolai Zhuravsky, Rector of the Church of the Holy Fathers of Svyatogorsk in Mahopac, NY (Georgian Orthodox Church); Protopriest Spyridon Narsia of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Brooklyn (Georgian Orthodox Church); Hieromonk Evtikhy (Dovganiuk) of the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign”; Hieromonk Photios (Oulanoff) of Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY; Priest Vasily Kirichuk, Rector of the Chuda Arkhistratig Mikhail Church in the town of Mosty (Rovensk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Priest Nikolai Gulin of St Stephan Church in Philadelphia, PA (Orthodox Church in America); Priest Alexander Reviuk, Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, NY (Orthodox Church in America); Protodeacon Dimitri Temidis of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY: Protopriest Dionisy Lvov of the Synodal Cathedral, and Deacon Rostislav Zadorozhny of St John the Forerunner Cathedral.

Also praying at the service was Protopriest George Kallaur, Rector of “Unexpected Joy” Church.

After the service, Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated Fr Alexander on his 60th birthday, wishing him many years and thanking him for his many pastoral services. Fr Alexander and other were then granted ecclesiastical awards.

Afterwards, lunch was offered at Passage Restaurant, which provided a beautiful view of Sheepshead Bay.

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