On Thursday, January 11, an official Nativity Reception was held in the Consulate of the Russian Federation in New York City, on behalf of Consul General Sergey Konstantinovich Ovsyannikov and the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk. 

The reception was attended by His Grace Eastern American Diocesan Vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan; Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa (OCA); Dean of St. Nicholas Antiochian Cathedral in New York, Archpriest Thomas Zain; Director of External Church Relations of the OCA, Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky; OCA Chancellor, Archpriest John Jillions; clergy of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; the Russian Church Abroad and the Orthodox Church in America as well representatives of various diplomatic missions in New York. 

Sergey Konstantinovich welcomed all the guests to the Consulate and wished them good fortune for the New Year. Bishop John likewise greeted all the guests on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia with the Feast of Nativity of Christ and the celebration of the New Year. 

A concert was then performed by the Royal Passion-Bearer Tsar Nicholas II Choir of the Eastern American Diocese.