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With the blessing of the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, and the acting administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States of America, Bishop Matthews of Chersonesus, Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov) and Rev. Mark Rashkov of the Russian Orthodox Church’s representation in the USA attended the funeral service for the former Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) who passed away in the Lord on October 19, 2020.

In the evening of October 22, in the Church of John the Baptist in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the place of His Eminence Theodosius’s childhood and beginning of his church service, an assembly of hierarchs and clergy of the Orthodox Church in America, led by His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada, held the funeral service for the departed.

According to the will of the deceased, the burial service took place at the cemetery of the Convent of the Holy Transfiguration in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. On October 23, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon led in this convent the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, during which he was assisted by hierarchs and clergy of the Orthodox Church in America, as well as Bishop Irenej of Eastern America, Serbian Orthodox Church; Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov), secretary to the administration of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; and Rev. Mark Rashkov, head of the office of the Moscow Patriarchate Parishes in the USA.

After the liturgy, the hierarchs delivered funeral orations. Messages of condolences from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk were read out by Father Mark Rashkov.

After the prayer for the repose of the dead and the reading of the prayer of absolution, the bishops, priests and sisters of the convent led by Abbess Christophora, and lay people saw the departed Metropolitan Theodosius on his way.

Website of the Russian Orthodox Church Representation in the USA

DECR Communication Service