On December 2, 2013, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon attended a luncheon marking the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle hosted by His Eminence, Archbishop Timothy M. Cardinal Dolan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, at the latter’s residence. Bishops and priests of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Armenian Church, and the Syrian Orthodox Church also attended, joining Catholic bishops. Traditionally, a delegation of the Catholic Church visits the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople on the Feast of Saint Andrew, as the Church of Constantinople looks to him as its founder, just as the Church of Rome looks to the Apostle Peter as its founder.
Participating in the luncheon from the Orthodox Church in America were Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations’ Archpriest John Behr, Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary; and Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Chancellor of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary.
The event opened with prayers in the Cardinal’s chapel and concluded with a visit to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, which is currently undergoing major repair and restoration.
