Met. Nicholas Leads Memorial for Abp. Peter in Illinois

Hierarchs, from left to right: Met. Longin, Met. Nicholas, and Abp. Daniel. Photo: Liubov Kichakov

DES PLAINES — His Eminence Met. Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), presided over the one-year anniversary commemoration for Abp. Peter of Chicago and Mid-America on Nov. 7–8, 2025, at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral.

According to a release from the diocese, on the eve of the Feast of St. Demetrius, Met. Nicholas prayed in the altar and anointed the faithful and clergy following the polyeleos. The following morning, he was greeted by 50 priests and deacons from across the Mid-American Diocese, many of whom had been ordained by Abp. Peter. The cathedral was filled to capacity, with the faithful partaking of Holy Communion from three chalices. The hierarchal choir, directed by Dr. Michael Gill, offered what witnesses described as a beautiful performance.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a pannykhida was served for Abp. Peter. Concelebrating with Met. Nicholas were Met. Longin, Archbishop of New Gracanica–Midwestern America (Serbian Orthodox Church), and Abp. Daniel of Chicago and the Midwest (Orthodox Church in America).

In his address, Met. Nicholas thanked the visiting hierarchs for their “unwavering support of the faithful of the cathedral and the diocese in the wake of Abp. Peter’s repose,” and expressed that “surely Abp. Peter would have been very pleased with such a gathering indeed.”

A memorial meal followed in the cathedral hall, with every seat filled — a testament, organizers noted, to “the love that so many had, and still have, for Abp. Peter.” During the meal, Nun Maria of the St. Lazarus Girls School in the Holy Land read a letter of condolence from Archimandrite Roman, Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy Land, a position once held by Abp. Peter himself.

Mother Maria discusses life in the Holy Land. Photo: Liubov Kichakov

Mother Maria also spoke about the challenges faced by Orthodox Christians and her school in the Holy Land. Her remarks can be viewed on the Mid-American Diocesan YouTube channel, and donations to support the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy Land may be made through the Synod website here.

Previously, UOJ reported that Nun Maria would visit parishes across the Mid-American and Eastern American Dioceses this November.

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