Celebration of the Feast Day of St Catherine the Great Martyr

The parishioners and worshipers of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY, solemnly and prayerfully marked the feast day of St Catherine the Great Martyr. On this day, 35 years ago, the Parish Rector, Mitred Protopriest George Larin was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Laurus of Manhattan, the future First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Since then, Fr George has served at Holy Virgin Protection Church and is the director of the big parish school, one of the best Russian parish schools in the USA. On this day, Fr George performed divine liturgy along with Protopriest Elias Gorsky and Priest Serafim Gan, after which the latter greeted the Rector and, as instructed by His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, read a gramata [decree of blessing] to Matushka Catherine Larin, from His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, who was returning from a trip to South America late that evening.

Matushka Catherine is a kind and earnest helper in the life and pastoral service of the Rector of Holy Virgin Protection Parish and is an active parish member. For this reason, the second priest of the Parish, Fr Elias, Deacon Dimitri Temidis, the members of the Parish Council, the parishioners and churchgoers petitioned His Eminence Vladyka to grant Matushka the ecclesiastical decree on her namesday.

That evening, a large reception was organized at the parish hall to mark the 35th anniversary of Fr Goerge's pastoral service and the namesday of his matushka, to which all the clergy and members of the parish were invited.