The Enthronement of His Holiness, Patriarch KIRILL
of Moscow and All Russia

MOSCOW, RUSSIA [OCA Communications] -- On Sunday, February 1, 2009, a delegation representing the Orthodox Church in America took part in the enthronement of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

The OCA delegation consisted of His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West; Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate; and Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations.

At the banquet following the enthronement services, His Grace, Bishop Tikhon read a letter of greeting to Patriarch Kirill from His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah.

"Your Holiness' election brings us great joy in knowing that the special relationship between the Russian Church and the Orthodox Church in America will continue," Metropolitan Jonah wrote. "The support and encouragement of the Mother Church to her American Daughter is of utmost value to us. As we move toward greater maturity as a Church and assume the full responsibilities of Autocephaly, which your predecessors endowed us with, we will look to Your Holiness as a collaborator in our common mission to establish the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Read it all here.

In news closer to home, the Diocesan website has posted an announcement regarding Mark Christian's scheduled ordination to the Holy Order of Deacons in Jacksonville, Florida.