On Friday, October 22, 2010, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate arrived in the town of Archangelsk to participate in the funeral services of his close friend and classmate from Seminary, the newly departed Bishop Tikhon of Archangelsk and Kholmogory who reposed in the Lord on October 20th. Upon arrival, Father Zacchaeus, together with two of the hierarch’s brothers, Archpriest Peter Stepanov and Igumen Seraphim who arrived from Germany via Moscow, went to the Holy Prophet Elias Cathedral to venerate the body of the newly departed Bishop Tikhon.
After a short rest at the Diocesan Chancery, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, together with the entire Stepanov family, consisting of three archpriests, an Igumen, and a priest, with one priest wife, and the departed bishop’s widowed mother, who was also a priest’s wife went back to the cathedral for the celebration of the Matins for the Departed. Towards the end of the service, His Eminence, Metropolitan ALEKSANDR of Astana and Kazakhstan arrived together with Archbishop JUSTINIAN of Naro-Fominsk; Bishop MARKELL of Peterhof; and Bishop NEKTARY of Dubnov at the cathedral to serve a memorial litya before the body of the newly departed Bishop Tikhon.
The following day, the Hierarchical Memorial Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan ALEKSANDR of Astana and Kazakhstan as well as the other hierarchs listed above and joined by His Eminence, Archbishop IOANN of Belgorod and His Eminence, Archbishop MANUEL of Petrozavodsk and Karelia, and temporary administrator of the Diocese of Archangelsk and Kholmogory. Archimandrite Zacchaeus led the rank of priests, which numbered over 50, at the service. At the conclusion of the service, Archbishop MANUEL read the official letter of condolences from His Holiness, Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia.
Afterwards, the Funeral Service was concelebrated by the Hierarchs and Clergy for the newly departed Bishop Tikhon of Archangelsk and Kholmogory.
