MUNICH: June 12, 2017
The Second Day of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad

On Saturday, June 10th, 2017, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia conened, after which the archpastors headed for various parishes of the German and Western European Dioceses of ROCOR for divine services.

The next day, the Sunday of All Saints, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of ROCOR, prayed and partook of the Holy Gifts at Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, First Vicar of the Western American Diocese, at St Elizabeth Convent in Buchendorf.

His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany, Vice President of the Synod of Bishops, celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia and St Nicholas in Munich, along with His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America and His Grace Bishop Irenei of Sacramento, Second Vicar of the Western American Diocese.

His Grace Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart, Vicar of the German Diocese, celebrated Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Church in Stuttgart in the presence of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign," the main holy icon of the Russian diaspora. He was joined in the service by His Grace Bishop George of Canberra, Vicar of the Australian Diocese.

His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe and His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America served in other parishes in Germany, while His Eminence Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America officiated at Divine Liturgy at St Job Memorial Church in Brussels, Belgium.

On Monday, June 12, the Council resumed its work, hearing a report by Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, on the monasteries in the Holy Land. Also reporting was Protopriest Nikolai Artemoff on the topic of the history and future of the Russian Church Abroad, after which Protopriest Ilya Limberger talked about youth ministry. The reports sparked in-depth discussions by the hierarchs, who then reviewed and signed the minutes of the first day of the Council.

Later that day, Metropolitan Hilarion and Archbishop Mark visited St Job Monastery and met with its monks.