DIOCESE OF CHICAGO AND MID-AMERICA: 25 June, 2026
On the feast day of St Onuphrius the Great, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia celebrated Divine Liturgy at St Sabbas the Sanctified Monastery

On Thursday, June 25, the feast day of St Onuphrius the Great, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St Sabbas the Sanctified Monastery in the suburbs of Detroit, MI.

His Eminence was joined by His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Manhattan, the abbot of the monastery Archimandrite Pachomy (Bellkov), Archpriest Gregory Joyce, Secretary of the of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America, and other clergy guests, with a large gathering of faithful who were communed from three chalices.

The service was held under the holy blessing of the Myrrh-streaming “Hawaiian” Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. After the Gospel reading, a special prayer request was offered for the health and salvation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All-Ukraine on the occasion of his namesday. At the appointed time during the service, Metropolitan Nicholas ordained the monastery’s Monk Feofan as a hierodeacon.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, addressing the congregation with a sermon, His Eminence highly praised the work of Fr Pachomy, presenting him with a commemorative pectoral cross, and congratulated Monk Theophan on receiving the grace of deaconal service, wishing the monastic community and the pilgrims of the monastery God’s help. After the service, the archpastors, clergy, and pilgrims were treated to a lenten meal, beautifully prepared by the monastery parishioners.

Arriving the day before, His Eminence toured the grounds of the monastery, which is stavropighial, reporting directly to the President of the Synod of Bishops, checked on the progress of repair and construction work being carried out there. Metropolitan Nicholas then had a fatherly chat with the residents, invoking God's blessing on their labors in this holy place. Later, after the evening service, Fr Pachomius hosted a dinner in honor of the distinguished guests, during which the archpastors were able to converse with the local clergy of the Russian Church serving in the Greater Detroit area.

Metropolitan Nicholas was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Theodosy of Manhattan and Archpriest Serafim Gan.