“He brought such comfort and assurance of the continuation of the Spirit of Antioch not only to our deanery, but as we are hearing, to the entire Archdiocese,” said Fr. Samer Youssef, pastor of Church of the Redeemer in Los Altos Hills, Calif.
The Patriarchal Vicar, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios, continued his mission in the Antiochian Archdiocese in Northern California, meeting with more clergy and laity from Dec. 14-15, 2022. He transmitted the love, care, attention and blessings of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East.
His Eminence’s first stop on Wednesday was to the incorrupt relics of St. John Maximovitch at Holy Virgin Cathedral of SF in San Francisco. He prayed before the relics and greeted Archpriest Peter Perekrestov, remarking that the Churches of Antioch and Russia have always shared close ties.
On Wednesday evening, Sayidna Antonios presided at vespers at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in San Francisco. Afterward, he explained the nomination process at next month’s Special Convention for a new Metropolitan-Archbishop. His Eminence made clear that the election is a spiritual one, for it will determine who will lead the Archdiocese and its mission as the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On Thursday morning, Sayidna Antonios visited Antiochian Orthodox Church of the Redeemer and learned about its rebuilding from an arson fire in 2002. He saw the remnants of the gospel book in which the Savior said to “turn the other cheek.” He then presided at the clergy meeting for the Northern California Deanery.
That night, he concluded his visit to the area with vespers and another session with the laity at Saint James Orthodox Church of Modesto.
More photos at https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1439 #orthodoxy
