On Monday, April 23, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and all Russia, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for Institutions Abroad, Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest began a working visit to the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA.
On April 24, His Eminence visited the Patriarchal complex in Pine Bush, NY accompanied by the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk. Parish rector, Archpriest Nikolai Babijtchouk acquainted Archbishop Antony with the history of the founding of the parish of All Saints Glorified in the Russian Lands, as well as the adjacent cemetery and current parish life. The hierarchs visited the grave of the complex's founder - Archbishop Dositheus (Ivanchenko, +1984) and sang Memory Eternal.
In the afternoon, Archbishop Antony arrived at the Patriarchal Parishes' St. Demetrius of Thessalonica Monastery in Framingham, MA where he venerated the sacred items in the Church of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco. Acting abbot, Hieromonk Savvatey (Ageyev) talked about the history and current life of the renewed monastery.
Archbishop Antony's official visit will continue until May 1, where he will visit a number of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, meet with its clergy and laity as well hierarchs of the Russian Church Abroad.
The Chairman of the Department for Institutions Abroad Begins Work-Visit to the United States - 04/23/18
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