« Bishop Matthew meets with Primate of Antiochian Archdiocese of North America »
09-05-2019 
On May 7, a meeting was held in the spiritual-administrative center of the Antiochian Archdiocese in North America, between its primate, Metropolitan Joseph of North America, the interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh and General Consul of the Russian Federation in New York, Sergey K. Ovsyannikov.
Also attending the meeting was Vicar General, Archpriest Thomas Zain, Priest Mark Rashkov (cleric of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City), Russian Federation Vice-Consul Aleksey Topolsky and personal secretary to Bishop Matthew, Nikolai Trubnikov.
After exchanging Paschal greetings, the hierarchs discussed a number of collaborative ventures between the Antiochian Archdiocese and the Patriarchal Parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA as well as the recent actions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate which has threatened pan-Orthodox unity.
Metropolitan Joseph asked Bishop Matthew and Consul S. Ovsyannikov to relay his heartfelt appreciation to His Holiness Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and all Russia and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for their full support to the people of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The meeting participants also discussed the program of the visit of a delegation of the Antiochian Archdiocese, headed by Metropolitan Joseph to the Russian Orthodox Church, which will be held from May 13 to 27 of this year.
At the end of the meeting, the hierarchs exchanged commemorative gifts.
Mospatusa.com/Sourozh.org