DIVEEVO, RUSSIA: July 13, 2017
On the Feast Day of SS Peter and Paul, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York Celebrated Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity-St Seraphim Convent in Diveevo

On Wednesday, July 12, 2017, the feast day of SS Peter and Paul, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York visited Holy Trinity-St Seraphim Convent in Diveevo, Russia. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia performed a moleben and akathist to St Seraphim of Sarov, then celebrated Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity Cathedral, which contains the relics of the saint.

Metropolitan Hilarion was joined in the services by His Eminence Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhegorodsk and Arzamas; His Grace Bishop Ilia of Balakhnin, Vicar of Nizhegorodsk Diocese; Protopriest Sergy Matveev, Diocesan Secretary; the local deans and other clergymen.

Praying at the service was Abbess Sergiya (Konkova) and the nuns of her convent, and a multitude of worshipers, including pilgrims from the Russian Church Abroad.

Abbess Sergiya then thanked the hierarchs for their service and gave each a prosphora.

In response, Metropolitan Hilarion thanked the abbess for her hospitality and congratulated the congregants on the feast day. The First Hierarch of ROCOR said that he was very glad to visit Diveevo convent, and was especially happy for the representatives of his flock from America and Australia, visiting for the first time.

Metropolitan Georgy thanked Vladyka Hilarion for their joint service, congratulated everyone on the end of the Peter and Paul fasting period and the day’s communicants of the Holy Gifts. He discussed the reconciliation of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR ten years ago, which is marked in part by this pilgrimage, which will also visit Optina Hermitage and other holy sites of Russia.

“Ten years ago a wound was healed, a wound inflicted upon our Church in 1917,” noted Vladyka Georgy. “Our ancestors raised their hand against the Anointed of God and decided that they could live on earth without the Lord. But blood was spilt, thousands of people were tortured to death and executed, many fled their Fatherland. But, living abroad, they gathered under the roof of the Church, preserving their traditions and faith. The two branches of the Russian Orthodox Church endured the furnace of tribulations and temptations only to reunite, with God’s will.”

He then gave the Primate of the Church Abroad a panaghia and an icon of St Seraphim as a memento of the occasion. Metropolitan Hilarion then toured the convent's school and the famous wellspring of St Seraphim.