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On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Alexander, Archbishop of Dallas and the Diocese of the South, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon traveled to Richmond, VA, to participate in the annual Assembly of the Diocese of the South. His Beatitude was accompanied by Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America.
On Tuesday morning, a Molieben was served by Archpriest Marcus Burch, Chancellor of the Diocese of the South, to open the assembly. Following the service, the business of the Assembly began. His Beatitude addressed the Assembly later that afternoon during its second session.
That evening, the Assembly participants traveled to St. Andrew Church in Ashland, VA where Vespers was served by the Rector, Priest Adam Sexton. Following the service, Archbishop Alexander recognized two parishioners with diocesan gramoti, and His Grace Bishop Gerasim, Bishop of Fort Worth, gave a brief homily on the Epistle reading of the day. Dinner was then served at a local venue.
On Wednesday, the day began with His Beatitude presiding at the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. Cyprian of Carthage Church in Midlothian, VA. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Eminence Archbishop Alexander and His Grace Bishop Gerasim. Also serving were Archpriest Marcus Burch, Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, and other clergy from the Appalachian Deanery. Before the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Alexander tonsured Roman Bohuk and Romanus Brown as Readers. At the Little Entrance, His Eminence elevated Priest Jason Foster to the dignity of Archpriest. He also awarded the jeweled cross to Archpriest Mark Sutton and the Gold Cross to Priest David Ogan.
His Beatitude offered the homily, where he explained how Christ’s words show that all are guilty before God, no matter how scrupulously our piety. He said, “Many of us fall short both here and there, both with respect to the spirit and the letter, the inner and the outer…And yet, in the beautiful irony of the divine economy, it is precisely this recognition of our incorrigible sinfulness wherein lies our hope for holiness. The one who truly knows his sinfulness is humble, and the one who is truly humble is holy. Becoming the greatest of saints is inseparable from knowing oneself to be the worst of sinners.”
On Wednesday afternoon, His Beatitude and Fr. Alessandro gave a presentation on the Orthodox Church in America’s conciliar structure and process and the upcoming 21st All-American Council. His Beatitude especially highlighted his call for reflections and offered some of his own considerations on the present life of the Church.
