Representation of the Orthodox Church in America
to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate

News | 05-02-06 Feast of the Sunday of Zacchaeus celebrated at St. Catherine the Great Martyr Church

On Sunday, February 5, 2006, the clergy and faithful of St. Catherine the Great Martyr Church welcomed His Eminence, Archbishop ARSENY of Istra to the parish to lead the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Sunday of Zacchaeus – the namesday of the parish dean, and the feast of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia under the Soviet yoke.

During the liturgy, His Eminence ordained two men – one to the Holy Priesthood and the other to the Holy Diaconate, both to serve in other parishes in the Moscow area. Following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Moleben to the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia and the Righteous Zacchaeus, Archbishop ARSENY read greetings of His Holiness, Patriarch ALEKSY of Moscow and All Russia to the Dean of the parish, Archimandrite Zacchaeus who was celebrating simultaneously with his namesday his 5th anniversary of service in Moscow and his 35th Birthday. After the Patriarchal greetings, Archimandrite Zacchaeus thanked the Archbishop for his service and asked him to convey his gratitude to His Holiness, Patriarch ALEKSY for his kind words of greeting.

In addition to the parishioners of St. Catherine the Great Martyr Church, in attendance at the Divine Liturgy were the Ambassadors of the United States of America and Ethiopia; the Consul General of the United States of America in Moscow and the US Consul in Ekaterinburg; Representatives of the Council of the Federation and the State Duma of the Russian Federation; Representatives of the Moscow City Duma; Representatives of the Federal Reserve of the Russian Federation; Representatives of the Embassy of the United States of America in Moscow; Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; a Representative the Papal Nuncio in Moscow; and friends of the parish. Following the service, thanks to the generous hospitality of one of the parish benefactors, a reception was held for Archimandrite Zacchaeus in a nearby restaurant. Joining those gathered at this reception were Bishop SAVA of Krasnogorsk; Protopresbyter Matthew Stadniuk, Dean of Moscow’s Epiphany Cathedral; Archimandrite Alexander, Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Patriarchate of Antioch; Archimandrite Isidore, Chancellor of the Diocese of Alaska (OCA); Clergy from Moscow; and Representatives of the St. Andrew the First Called Foundation, the Foundation for Unity Among Orthodox Christian Nations, and the Non-for-profit Foundation “Svyaz Pokolenie.” During the Reception, greetings were read on behalf of His Beatitude, the Most Blessed Metropolitan HERMAN and Mikhail E. Shvydkoi, the Chairman of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography of the Russian Federation.