On October 7th & 8th, the faithful of the Cathedral of St.
Sergius in Cleveland (Parma) celebrated the memory of their heavenly
protector. They were joined by his grace, Bishop Peter, who arrived
for the whole weekend, accompanied by deacon Alexander Kichakov. On
October 7th, a festive Sunday liturgy was celebrated by Vladyka , Fr.
Alexander, and the clergy of the cathedral: Fr. Ilia Marzev,
cathedral dean, and Fr. Peter Selenoi. In his sermon, Vladyka
emphasized the importance of celebrating one’s parish patronal
feast, and encouraged all to attend the upcoming services of their
“second Pascha”. Following the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Peter and
an entourage from the Cathedral visited St. John the Theologian
Monastery (OCA) in Hiram, OH. The festive vigil that evening was
served by the cathedral clergy, joined by Hieromonk Alexander &
Hierodeacon Sergius from the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in West
Virginia. The following morning, many of the faithful arrived to mark
the memory of St. Sergius, inspired by Vladyka’s words. The service
was fittingly majestic with the participation of local clergy from
the Moscow Patriarchate, OCA, and Serbian Church, as the choir sang
festively under the direction of reader Alexander Petrovsky.
Following the Liturgy & Moleben with a Cross Procession, a
banquet was held in the hall by the Cathedral Sisterhood.