On Sunday, November 9, the Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk presided over the Divine Liturgy in St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City. 

His Eminence was co-served the by Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, the vice –chairman of the DECR, Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov); DECR Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations, Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov); vice-rector for church-wide post-graduate and doctoral studies at the institute of Sts. Methodius and Kirill, Hieromonk John (Kopeikin) and clerics of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Praying during the Divine Services was the Consul General of the Russian Federation, Igor Leondiovich Golubovsky. 

After the Augmented Litany, Metropolitan Hilarion raised prayers for peace in Ukraine.

After the Divine Services, His Grace Bishop John greeted Metropolitan Hilarion noting that his visit is not only important in the ecclesiastical-diplomatic sphere, but also for the spiritual life of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. Commemorating his visit to the United States, Bishop John presented His Eminence with an Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. 

Metropolitan Hilarion then thanked Bishop John and the parishioners of the cathedral for their hospitality. His Eminence then gifted Bishop John with a Panagia.