« XIV Congress of the Clergy and Laity of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA took place »

From September 30 to October 2, 2019, the XIV Congress of Clergy and Laity of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States chaired by His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States and Canada, was held at the Antiochian Archbishopric (Antiochian Village, Pennsylvania).

On the last day of work, the final session of the Congress, dedicated to the organization and holding of festive events in 2020 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States, took place after the Divine Liturgy.

Hieromonk Tikhon (Pashkovsky), Rector of the Kazan church of the monastery metochion in Spoken, Washington, spoke about the life of the monastery (and its metochions) in honour of the Great Martyr Dimitry of Solun, being part of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States, which was revived with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

Elections of new members of the Episcopal Council were held by secret ballot  and approved by Bishop Matthew.  Vladyka wished the newly elected members of the consultative body God's assistance in their responsible obedience, and expressed his deep gratitude to the former members of the Council, which had been working since 2014.

With the blessing of Bishop Matthew, a working group under the chairmanship of Archpriest Alexander Golubov was formed to draft amendments to the current Charter of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, which would take into account new realities of life of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in the USA.  These proposals will be submitted for consideration at the next Congress of the clergy and laity.

After the official closing of the Congress, Bishop Matthew and participants in the meeting visited the resting place of St. Raphael of Brooklyn, where his relics are buried.  Vladyka served a moleben and veneration to St.Raphael.  Bishop Matthew prayerfully honored the memory of Metropolitan Philip (Salib)  of New York (+2014), an outstanding hierarch of the Church of Antioch, who had been, for many years, Head of the Antioch jurisdiction in North America.

On October 4, Bishop Matthew returned back to London.

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