His Eminence leads Pentecost Celebration at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).
On Saturday evening, June 22, and the morning of Sunday, June 23, the Cathedral of the Diocese of the West celebrated the great saving day of Pentecost: the feast of the Holy Trinity, its patronal feast. His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West presided at the divine services.
In a cherished Bay Area tradition, local clergy and faithful assembled together at the Diocesen Cathedral for the Festal Vigil. Clergy concelebrating with His Eminence included Mitred Archpriest Basil Rhodes (St. Nicholas, Saratoga), Mitred Archpriest Stephan Meholick (St. Nicholas, San Anselmo), Archpriest Kirill Sokolov (Cathedral Dean), Archpriest Lawrence Margitich (St. Seraphim, Santa Rosa), Archpriest Lawrence Gaudreau (St. Mary Magdalene, Atwater), Archpriest Michael Vladimirov, Archpriest Philip Halliwell (Christ the Savior, San Francisco), Priest Edward Henderson (St. John, Berkeley), Priest Andrew Smith (Nativity of the Virgin, Menlo Park), Priest Nicholas Metrakos (Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, San Francisco), Priest Damian Kulp (St. Christina, Fremont), and Protodeacon David Greenfield (Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Chico). The large multi-parish congregation enjoyed a beautiful reception afterward.
On Sunday morning, the solemnity continued with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Vespers with Kneeling Prayers, festal molieben and procession, and a joyful meal together.
At the Little Entrance, His Eminence awarded Archpriest James Jorgenson the distinction of wearing the mitre on behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops. We are accustomed to bishops wearing this distinctive icon-adorned hat during the divine liturgy. Over the centuries, certain monk-priests, heads of large monasteries (“archimandrites”) received this honor as well. In 1786, Empress Catherine the Great awarded her own father confessor, an archpriest, with this honor. Since then, this has been a distinction available to non-monastic clergy in our tradition. In the Orthodox Church in America, each ruling bishop may petition the Holy Synod for one priest per year in his diocese to receive this award. That priest must have served honorably for many decades. “Axios!” (Worthy!) to Fr. James for receiving this sign of Christian victory (Revelation 4:4).
Fr. Basil Rhodes, Fr. Kirill Sokolov, and Protodeacon David Greenfield also concelebrated Sunday morning. Mitred Archpriest Peter Perekrestov arrived after the early Divine Liturgy at Holy Virgin Cathedral (ROCOR) to concelebrate the Vespers and Festal Procession.
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