Orthodox Churches

A monument to St. Sergius of Radonezh consecrated in New Jersey

 The celebrations dedicated to the anniversary of repose of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh took place at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Howell, New Jersey). The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Archpriest Sergy Lukyanov, rector of the cathedral and secretary of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR).   

First stone laid in foundation of an Orthodox church in Strasbourg

On September 30, 2014, the first stone was laid in the foundation of an Orthodox of All Saints in a solemn ceremony in Strasburg. The ceremony was led by Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s office for institutions abroad.

The event was attended by the Russian Orthodox clergy serving abroad, representatives of the Council of Europe, diplomats and religious and public leaders in Strasbourg and other cities in France and Germany. Among those who came for the ceremony was Russia’s ambassador to the Council of Europe A. Orlov. Present at the ceremony were also Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU A. Alekseyev and General Consul in Strasbourg A. Burdin. In total, over 300 people gathered together for the laying of the foundations of the first Orthodox church to be built in Strasbourg.

New Orthodox church consecrated in New York

 On Saturday, October 4, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York (the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) consecrated the new Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist in New York (Brooklyn, Sheepshead Bay).

It can be said that for today this is one of the largest Orthodox churches in New York City and is inferior only to the St. Nicholas Cathedral on Manhattan (belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate) in respect of capacity and adornments. Most likely, only the Church of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia on 18th Avenue (the first of four Orthodox churches now active in this NY borough) can rival the newly consecrated church.

A new eucharistic community formed in central Portugal

On September 27, 2014, the first Orthodox Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the small town of Caldas da Raigha in central Portugal.

The service became possible thanks to numerous requests from the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church residing in the region, the website of the Diocese of Chersonese reports.

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the rector of the Community of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg in Faro, Archpriest Ioann Gerovetsky, and Hegumen Petr (Prutyanu) at the old 16th century Catholic church of the Holy Spirit.

The Clergy-Laity Assembly of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania

The Clergy-Laity Assembly of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania was convened within a fraternal atmosphere, on the 26th and 27th of September, 2014, at the premises of the New Monastery of St. Vlash, and under the chairmanship of His Beatitude, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Anastasios. More than 200 members participated in the work of the Assembly; they came from the Archdiocese of Tirana and three Metropolises (24 clergy and 24 laity people from each metropolis; 8 men, 8 women and 8 youth), as well as associates. They discussed issues related to the life of the Church at the general meeting of the membership and in smaller workgroups; and also made proposals for their implementation in Albanian society today.

Constitutive Meeting of the Romanian Church National Assembly

On 29 September 2014, the constitutive meeting of the Church National Assembly of the Romanian Orthodox Church for the period 2014 – 2018 was held in Bucharest, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania.