OCA Primate Enthronement plans finalized; banquet tickets still available

SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – 15/1/13

Plans have been finalized for the enthronement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, DC, on the weekend of January 26-27, 2013.

On Saturday, January 26, the Vigil will be celebrated at 5:00 p.m. The following morning, January 27, the Divine Liturgy, followed by the Rite of Enthronement, will begin at 9:00 a.m. Members of the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops will be joined at the Divine Liturgy by guest hierarchs.

Tickets are still available for the enthronement banquet, to be held at the Omni Shoreham, 2500 Calvert Street NW (at Connecticut Ave.), Washington, DC after the Liturgy. A reception will held at 2:00 p.m., followed by dinner in the Regency Ballroom at 3:00 p.m. All banquet proceeds will be earmarked for the benefit of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, according to Metropolitan Tikhon’s wishes. Tickets are now $75.00 per person, or $600.00 for a table of eight guests. Reservations and menu selection (meat/fish) should be sent to enthronement@oca.org. Deadline for banquet reservations is January 14. Checks payable to the Orthodox Church in America, with “ATTN: Banquet” in the memo, may be sent to the OCA Chancery, PO Box 675, Syosset, NY 11791. Credit card payments can be made by calling Andrew Boyd at the Chancery at 516-922-0550, ext 133.

Archpriest John Perich, Temporary Administrator of Saint Nicholas Cathedral and Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of the Orthodox Church in America, South Canaan, PA, is organizing an exhibit of historical items associated with Saint Tikhon of Moscow that will be on display at the cathedral throughout the weekend. After a decade of ministry as bishop and archbishop of North America, Saint Tikhon returned to Russia in 1907. Ten years later, he was elected to the patriarchal see. Among the items that will be on display are the mantiya Saint Tikhon wore at his enthronement, his family icon that had remained in the US after his return to Russia, and numerous other rarely seen artifacts and mementos related to the saint.

Hotel rooms have been set aside at the Omni Shoreham for those desiring lodging. A rate of $139.00 per night is available. Reservations for the group may be made by calling Omni Hotels & Resorts Reservations at 1-800-THE OMNI and referencing the “Orthodox Church in America” room block. Alternately, individual guest room reservations may be made on-line at www.omnihotels.com and entering the group code number 12400612070 in the reservations tab.

In related news, the Holy Synod of Bishops encourages the participation of clergy and faithful in the annual March for Life on Friday, January 25. Participants are asked to gather by noon under the “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner to the right of the state at the Ellipse. In conjunction with the March, Vespers will be celebrated on Thursday evening, January 24, at Saint Nicholas Cathedral. See related story and schedule of events related to the March.

Metropolitan Tikhon was elected at the 17th All-American Council, held in Parma, OH on November 13, 2012. See related story.

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