Patronal feast at the St. Sergius of Radonezh church on the grounds of the Tolstoy Foundation

The parish of the St. Sergius of Radonezh church on the grounds of the Tolstoy Foundation in Valley Cottage, NY, celebrated their patronal feast on Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

The diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Andronik, Archbishop of Syracuse and St. Nicholas, arrived at 9 AM. Celebrating the liturgy were the Rector, Mitered Archpriest Gregory Kotlaroff, along with Mitered Archpriest Sergey Klestov, Hegumen Ignatiy (Krutkov), Archpriest Ilya Gan and Fr. Dmitry Dobronravov.

During the reading of the sixth hour, Subdeacons Viktor Kachkovskiy and Aleksandr Dmitrievich led layperson Gregory to Archbishop Andronik to be ordained a reader. The clergy joyfully sang Aksios, which was then repeated by the choir along with the faithful.

After the Divine Liturgy, everyone gathered for a trapeza, at which the clergy and many others congratulated the rector and the parish with the feast day. Fr. Dmitry Dobronravov passed along the well wishes of the Holy Trinity parish. Hegumen Ignatiy then added his congratulations on behalf of our brothers and sisters in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the parish of St. John of Shanghai in San Francisco, CA. Fr. Sergey Klestov congratulated everyone on behalf of his parish of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, and also asked that everyone pray for the ailing Bishop Stefan, whose name was commemorated during the Liturgy.

All who attended congratulated the new reader, Gregory, and asked that the Lord give him strength to serve the Church.