Metropolitan Jonah welcomes Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at Chancery
On Monday, August 30, 2010, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah welcomed His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion [Alfeyev] of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, to the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America here.
Metropolitan Hilarion, a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate, arrived in New York on Saturday, August 28, to attend a meeting of the Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Board of Trustees, of which he is a member. As reported on the seminary web site, illness precluded him from concelebrating the Sunday Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Jonah at the seminary’s Three Hierarchs Chapel. [Read that story here.]
Metropolitan Hilarion is visiting the OCA Chancery to contribute to the reflections within the OCA regarding its participation in the Episcopal Assembly process. [Read the related story here.]
Joining Metropolitan Jonah in welcoming Metropolitan Hilarion were His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; His Grace, Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey; Archpriests John Behr, Chad Hatfield, and Leonid Kishkovsky; and Priest Alexander Rentel.
Upon his arrival at the Chancery, a Service of Prayer in honor of the Saints of North America was celebrated at Saint Sergius of Radonezh Chapel as the hierarchs venerated the chapel’s relics and icons.
Further information will be posted as it is received.