SEA CLIFF, NY: October 6, 2010
St Seraphim Church Hosts a Meeting of the Synodal Committees of the Russian Church Abroad and the Orthodox Church in America 

On October 5, 2010, the first meeting of the Synodal Committees of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Orthodox Church in America was held at St Seraphim Church in Sea Cliff, NY. The Committees’ members prayed during a moleben “invoking the aid of the Holy Spirit upon commencing a good work,” after which they began their meeting at the parish rectory.  

The main goal of these meetings was the joint discussion of the sources of division and the problems hindering the fullness of brotherly communion between the two Churches, and to seek paths of cooperation and collaboration.  

Representing the Russian Church Abroad are the Committee Chairman, His Grace Bishop George of Mayfield, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese; Archimandrite Luke (Murianka); Committee Secretary Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff; Protopriest David Moser and Priest Peter Jackson. Protopriest Serafim Gan is participating as a consultant.  

The representatives of the Orthodox Church in America are the Committee Chairman, His Grace Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; Protopriest Alexander Garklavs; Protopriest Leonid Kishkovsky; Protopriest John Ericson; Hegumen Alexander and Alexis Liberovsky. 

After praying at great vespers performed by St Seraphim’s clergymen, the participants shared a fraternal trapeza with the clergy and choir of the parish.  

On October 6, the meetings are to begin following Divine Liturgy at Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Church in Sea Cliff, whose rector is Fr Leonid.