First Services Held at New Russian Orthodox Church in Lisbon

Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun has led the first services to be celebrated at the new Russian Orthodox Church of St. Felix in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. The church was transferred to the Eparchy of Korsun, which cares for the communities of the patriarchal Russian Orthodox Church in Western and Southern Europe, from the Roman Catholic Patriarchate of Lisbon.

Following the services Bishop Nestor met with all the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Portugal to discuss the possibilities for the future development of the Church in the country. More here.

Cornerstone for Russian Orthodox Church Laid in Madrid

Archbishop Mark (Golovkov) of Yegorevsk and Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun of the Russian Orthodox Church have laid the cornerstone for the first permanent Russian Orthodox church in Madrid. A parish previously existed in the Spanish capital, but functioned as a house church and later closed, only being revived in 2001 when the Moscow Patriarchate established a new parish dedicated to the Nativity of the Lord. More (in Russian) here.

First Slavonic Divine Liturgy in Rome Commemorated 1,000+ Years Later

On the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius the Orthodox Church in Rome commemorated the Equals-to-the-Apostles by celebrating a Slavonic-language Divine Liturgy in the Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Maria Maggiore, the place of the first Slavonic-language Divine Liturgy served with the blessing of Pope Adrian II of Rome over a thousand years ago.

Archbishop Mark (Golovkov) of Yegorevsk, auxiliary of the Moscow Patriarchate, led the festal services, which were concelebrated by Archbishop Alexander (Drabynko) of Pereyaslav-Khmel'nyts'kyi, auxiliary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's Kiev Metropolitanate, and Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun, ruling bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in southwestern Europe. More (in Russian) here.

Greek, Russian Orthodox Hierarchs for Italy Meet

Metropolitan Gennadios (Zervos) of Venice of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church and Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun of the Russian Orthodox Church in southwestern Europe met this past weekend in Venice following Bishop Nestor's pastoral visit to the city's Russian Orthodox parish. During the meeting the two hierarchs discussed the state of the various Orthodox Churches present in Italy. More (in Russian) here.

Madeira Celebrates Pascha

The Portuguese island of Madeira has seen its first Pascha, which was observed by the island's newly established Church of St. Spyridon with the blessing of Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun. The Paschal services were celebrated by Fr. Ioan Bordian, a clergymen of the Eparchy of Chisinau of the Moldovan Orthodox Church. More (in Romanian) here.

Bishop Nestor Celebrates St. Alexis' Day in Rome

For the first time since the Great Schism the divine services have been celebrated in Rome's Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Alexis this past Wednesday in honor of St. Alexis the 'Man of God,' whose relics rest in the basilica, by Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun of the Russian Orthodox Church. The services were followed by a meeting of the Italian Deanery of the Eparchy of Korsun at St. Catherine's Church in Rome. More here.

Russian Orthodox Exarchate, Korsun Diocese Discuss Relations

At the recent meeting of the archdiocesan council of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe, Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun participated as an observer at the invitation of Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana. During the meeting relations between the Exarchate and the Diocese of Korsun were discussed, apparently to the benefit of both as the upcoming All-Diaspora Youth Conference will now include members of Exarchate parishes. More here.

Three Holy Hierarchs' Church in Paris Celebrates 80th Anniversary

This past Saturday the Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs in Paris, seat of the Diocese of Korsun of the patriarchal Russian Orthodox Church, celebrated the 80th anniversary of its foundation. The festal services were concelebrated by Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun, Bishop Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and clergymen of the patriarchal and synodal Russian Orthodox Churches, the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. More here.

Parisian Bishop Visits Solesmes Abbey

In honor of the Westerners' "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun of the Russian Orthodox Church in France on Thursday presented a lecture on Russian Orthodox monasticism at the Solesmes Abbey before discussing with its abbot ways in which Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic monasteries could work together. More here.

Session of Russian Orthodox Holy Synod

At its recent session the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church accepted the retirement of Metropolitan Chrysostom of Vilnius and Lithuania and elected in his place Archbishop Innocent (Vasilyev) of Korsun as Archbishop of Vilnius. Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Caffa was then elected Bishop of Korsun with responsibility for the Western European diocese. Inside Russia Bishop Daniil of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was elected Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Archimandrite Tikhon (Dorovskikh) was made Bishop-elect of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Archpriest Aleksandr Osokin was made Bishop-elect of Karaganda, Kazakhstan's newest diocese.

In other appointments Bishop Petr of Hîncesti, auxiliary to Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and Moldova, was elected Bishop of Ungeni and Archimandrite Nikodim (Vulpe) was elected Bishop of Edineţ and Briceni (another diocese of the Orthodox Church in Bessarabia).

And lastly, a friend of mine and my confessor during my months in Nizhniy Novgorod, Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev of St. Alexander of the Neva's Cathedral, has been transferred to the patriarchal Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem to serve the dependency of St. Tabitha's Church in Jaffa, Israel.

The full report on the Holy Synod session can be found here.