NEW YORK: December 13, 2010
The 90th Anniversary of the Russian Church Abroad is Celebrated at the Synodal Cathedral

On December 10, 2010, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, along with a host of hierarchs of the One Russian Orthodox Church, celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign.” In addition to the members of the Synod of Bishops, concelebrating were a guest of the Representation of the Patriarchal Parish of the USA, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Astanai and Kazakhstan, and His Eminence Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk.

After the service, Metropolitan Hilarion greeted the worshipers, and spoke on the importance of the occasion. For his hard work towards the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Alexander was awarded the First Order of the Kursk-Icon of the Mother of God, and Archdeacon Eugene Burbelo was given the Second Order of the Kursk-Icon of the Mother of God for his 55 years of service as a deacon.

That evening, the Consulate of the Russian Federation in New York hosted an official reception in honor of the occasion and in honor of the feast day of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, the main holiday of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.