Hierarchs – Sunday of Orthodoxy Divine Liturgy and gathering of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the West, held on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at St. Steven Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, CA. (L-R) His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Serbian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Western America; His Grace Bishop Benjamin of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the West; His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco; and His Grace Bishop Joseph of the Antiochian Christian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West.
March 8, 2010
The Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Church’s triumph of the restoration of holy icons, was celebrated by the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the West on February 21, 2010 at Saint Stephen Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, CA. The Hierarchs who participated in this historic gathering for the third consecutive year were: His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco; His Grace Bishop Joseph of the Antiochian Christian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West; His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Serbian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Western America; and His Grace Bishop Benjamin of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the West.
Faithful from throughout southern California, including Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, carried icons along with the Hierarchs at this service which attracted hundreds of Orthodox Christians. His Grace Bishop Maxim hosted this gathering which included a luncheon following the Divine Liturgy, and a Pan-Orthodox Youth Rally at which the Hierarchs spoke to the youth, teens and young adults present and encouraged their continued active participation in the life of the Church, both sacramentally and socially.
At the luncheon, each of the Hierarchs was given the opportunity to speak, at which His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos shared his joy on the occasion of this annual gathering, where His Eminence referred to this event as “unique” to the American scene. “We are away from our ancestry, but this country gives us a special connection with each other to show the unity of the faith.”
Hierarch Procession – (L-R) His Grace Bishop Joseph, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, His Grace Bishop Maxim, His Grace Bishop Benjamin.
Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from southern California participated in the procession for the Sunday of Orthodoxy with the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the West. (L-R Bishop Maxim, Bishop Joseph, Metropolitan Gerasimos, Bishop Benjamin).
4th Thursday after Pascha
