On November 14, 2021, continuing his working trip to the USA, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, at the invitation of the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, arrived at that Church’s St. Tikhon’s Stavropegial Monastery in Pennsylvania, where he concelebrated the Sunday Divine Liturgy with His Beatitude Tikhon, Metropolitan of All America and Canada.
Among those taking part in the service were the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Sergius (Bowyer), with the ordained brethren of the monastery; the Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, Archpriest Alexander Rentel; the secretary of His Beatitude’s chancery, Priest Alessandro Margheritino; the Dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Archpriest John Parker; and the clergy of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America warmly greeted Metropolitan Hilarion and expressed gratitude for the joy of praying together in the first Orthodox monastery in North America, founded and consecrated in 1906 by St. Tikhon, the future Patriarch of Moscow.
His Beatitude asked the distinguished guest to convey fraternal greetings and good wishes to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ on the occasion of His Holiness’s upcoming significant birthday jubilee.
In memory of the visit to the monastery and their prayerful communion, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon presented Metropolitan Hilarion with an icon containing a particle of the holy relics of St. Nikolai (Velimirovich), who ended his earthly life at this monastery in 1956, as well as a reliquary with particles of the holy relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, St. Isaac the Syrian and St. Hilarion the Great.
In turn, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate greeted His Beatitude on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. Metropolitan Hilarion expressed gratitude to the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America for the opportunity to visit the USA to take part in a scholarly theological conference at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, and for the invitation to visit St. Tikhon’s Monastery and St. Tikhon’s Seminary. Metropolitan Hilarion presented His Beatitude with a hierarchical panagia, prayerfully wishing Metropolitan Tikhon God’s all-strengthening help and the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in his responsible and laborious ministry as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
Then the abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery, Archimandrite Sergius (Bowyer), acquainted Metropolitan Hilarion with the history and present-day life of the monastery, its holy objects and museum collection, and the work of the monastery publishing house.
After fraternal fellowship at a meal, Metropolitan Hilarion visited St. Tikhon’s Seminary, whose history and present-day life were presented to him by the Dean of the theological school, Archpriest John Parker. Metropolitan Hilarion presented the institution with copies of English translations of his theological works.