On May 16, 2026, continuing his archpastoral visit to Philadelphia, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, visited the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle.
The rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Mark Shinn, and the cleric of the parish, Priest Alexander Tsygankov, told the archpastor about the glorious history and present-day life of the first Orthodox church in Philadelphia.
The bishop venerated the holy relics of the church and visited the parish museum, which among other things holds the original iconostasis and liturgical vessels of the shipboard church of the famous battleship Retvizan, built in the shipyards of Philadelphia and consecrated by the renowned American missionary Hieromartyr Protopresbyter Alexander Hotovitzky.
Bishop Matthew expressed particular gratitude to Fr. Mark, the clergy and the parish council for carefully preserving the history and for developing an active and multifaceted parish life. The archpastor warmly wished the rector and his helpers God’s help in their labors.
