LONDON: September 24, 2018 - A regular session of the Synod of Bishops coincides with the great consecration of a new cathedral in Great Britain.

On Thursday, September 20, 2018, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York chaired a meeting of a regular meeting of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which coincided with the great consecration of the new and magnificent Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in London, England. Participating in this meeting were His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Eminence Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America; His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan and His Grace Bishop Irenei of Sacramento. The Synod of Bishops. Deliberating on the status of the parishes of Great Britain and of Western Europe, and studying the results of a questionnaire distributed to the members of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, decided: “1. To release the President of the Synod of Bishops from administering the parishes of Great Britain and Western Europe, expressing gratitude to His Eminence for his labors; 2) to release His Grace Bishop Irenei from administering the Sacramento Vicariate, appointing him Bishop of Richmond and Western Europe, with a residence in London, 3) to commemorate the name of Bishop Irenei at divine services in the parishes of Great Britain, Ireland and the nations of Western Europe under his omophorion, for which to issue a corresponding ukase.” On Friday, September 21, the feast day of the Nativity of the Most-Holy Mother of God, Archbishop Mark led the rite of great consecration of the new cathedral in London. His Eminence was joined by Archbishop Kyrill, Archbishop Gabriel, Archbishop Peter, Bishop Irenei, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh and Bishop Nicholas. After the service, Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated Divine Liturgy in the newly-consecrated church along with the other hierarchs as well as clergymen from Great Britain and Ireland and a multitude of visiting clergy. The celebrations as well as the meeting of the Synod of Bishops were held in the holy presence of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign," the “Guide of the Russian Diaspora.”