On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord, which this year fell on Meat-fare Sunday, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, presided at the nomination and consecration of Archimandrite Michael to be vicar bishop of Boston.
The nomination took place at 5PM on Saturday evening with the participation of His Eminence, as well as Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, Bishop Luke of Syracue, Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery, and the newly consecrated Bishop Spyridon of Toronto.
Hundreds of people assembled for this and the other services to follow, especially from the Boston area, specifically from the parish pastored by Fr. Michael for many years, that of Blessed Xenia in Methuen. Also present at the services was the Odigitria of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the miraculous Kursk Icon of the Mother of God.
On the day of the feast, the Meeting of the metropolitan took place at 9AM. Many clergy came to participate in the services from all over the Eastern-American Diocese as well as Canada, and other regions. After venerating the icons along with the bishop-elect, the vesting of the Metropolitan proceeded, which was followed by the Hours.
At the end of the Hours, the same bishops who had participated in the nomination, also proceeded to the middle of the church along with the clergy. Having received a blessing from the bishops the senior archimandrite along with the archdeacon fetched the bishop-elect and presented him to their graces, who read a confession of faith first on the bottom of a very large eagle rug, then on the center, and lastly on the head of the rug. Each time, the confession read was more complete in its setting forth the Orthodox faith confessed by the candidate.
After this, the candidate was led back into the altar, and the divine liturgy commenced. After the Small Entrance and the chanting of the troparia and kontakia, during the beginning of the chanting of the Trisagion, the archimandrites led the bishop-elect out of the altar and below the ambonion. After the metropolitan blessed all with the dikiri-trikiri, the archimandrites led the candidate into the altar, whereupon he was invited to bow down before the altar table, after having discarded his miter and phelonion. Then proceeded the prayer of consecration with the Gospel on the head of the new bishop. After the prayer, the newly-consecrated Bishop Michael was vested with the vestments of a bishop, with the chanting of AXIOS for each article, both by the clergy and also by the choir.
The rest of the hierarchal liturgy proceeded as normal. At the end of the liturgy, during which the faithful assembled communed from five chalices, the bishops unvested and put on their mantias and proceeded to the middle of the church, while the newly consecrated bishop was led up to them by the senior archimandrite and the archdeacon. After a brief sermon, the Metropolitan presented His Grace Bishop Michael with an episcopal staff as a symbol of his authority. Thereupon he was invited by the First Hierarch to give his blessing from the cathedra to the chanting of “Eis Polla Eti Despota.”
At the end of the service, all came up to the newly consecrated Vladyka to kiss the Cross and to congratulate him. After this, he went to the monastery trapeza to join all the other clergy and the faithful.
As is the tradition, the newly consecrated bishop will serve his first liturgy on the following day. Thus ends the unusual and very grace-filled days of two episcopal consecrations in Holy Trinity Monastery within four days, truly blessed occasions.
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