On Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of March, on the second Sunday of Great Lent, dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas, and the feast day of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop George of Mayfield, paid an Archpastoral visit to Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY. On Saturday, His Grace served the All-Night Vigil here for the first time, followed by Divine Liturgy the following morning, co-served by Archimandrite Maximos (Weimar; rector of Holy Cross Brotherhood in East Setauket, NY), parish rector Priest Alexandre Antchoutine, Hieromonk Silouan (Justiniano; cleric of Holy Cross Brotherhood), Hieromonk Photius (parish cleric), Deacon Nathan Mousselli (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City), and parish Deacon Vladimir Barros.

At the Little Entrance, for his many years of faithful service to the Holy Church, Bishop George elevated Fr. Alexandre to the rank of archpriest, wishing him God’s unfailing grace and aid in his ongoing labors. His Grace offered up a special prayer in English and Slavonic for the granting of peace to the Ukrainian people. Upon completion of the divine service, Bishop George addressed the faithful with a sermon in which he spoke on the labors of the Venerable Fathers ‒ fasters and ascetics, and called on the faithful to follow their example in life to the degree that they are able. The clergy and many parishioners, a majority of whom communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries, had an opportunity to venerate the holy relics of the 82 Fathers of the Kiev Caves. The reliquary with their relics was given to the church in 2012 by the deputy abbot of the Kievan Caves Lavra, Metropolitan Paul of Vyshgorod & Chernobyl.

Also praying and communing at the divine services were Daniel and Andrey, who came to America as part of a benevolent program named "Russian Gift of Life," as a part of which they will both undergo much-needed heart surgery. Holy Virgin Intercession Church and the "Russian Gift of Life” have long had a good working relationship. The rector, Fr. Alexandre, explains: for several years, Russian children have been visiting the church with their parents before their operations. There they pray and commune, and in particularly difficult circumstances, he visits them in the hospital himself. Bishop George presented the young Russians with a gift: copies of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

The newly awarded Archpriest Alexandre thanked His Grace, Bishop George, for their joint prayer and for his kind words and well wishes; and he expressed his desire to see His Grace more often in Holy Virgin Protection Church.

Luncheon was served in the parish refectory, during which Bishop George answered questions from parishioners.