On Wednesday, March 3, upon completion of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, a farewell banquet and official closing of the conference were held in the parish hall of St. John the Baptist Cathedral. Farewell addresses were delivered by the Eastern American Diocesan vicar bishops, Their Graces, George of Mayfield and Jerome of Manhattan, as well as diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov and cathedral rector Archpriest Victor Potapov. In gratitude for his visit to the conference and his lecture on the life and labors of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Bishop George presented Priest George Pavlovich with an icon of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia with a commemorative plaque. For his earnest labors over the course of the whole conference, His Grace presented parish chef Mikhail Vladimirovich Kolosov with an icon of St. Euphrosynos of Palestine (the patron saint of cooks) with a commemorative plaque, and also honored those volunteers who donated their time in the kitchen.

On behalf of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, Bishop George presented the parish of St. John the Baptist with a certificate of appreciation then thanked cathedral rector Archpriest Victor Potapov and all those who took part in making the conference a success. The conference officially closed with a thanksgiving moleben in the cathedral. The clergymen of the Eastern American Diocese then departed for their parishes, praising and thanking the Lord for a successful conference and for the chance to partake of Christ’s Holy Mysteries from one Chalice with their brothers.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese  

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