On August 20, the afterfeast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the feast of Hieromartyr Protopresbyter Alexander Khotovitsky, the founder and first rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City, with the blessing of Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, a conciliar service was held in the cathedral by the clergy of the deanery of the Eastern States. Divine Liturgy was led by dean, Priest Yulian Ryabtsev

After Holy Communion, a short moleben was performed and a prayer was read to Hieromartyr Alexander.

After the end of the service, Fr. Julian greeted the assembled rectors and clerics of the parishes of the Eastern Deanery, as well as the parishioners and guests of the cathedral, and noted that just as Hieromartyr Alexander’s commemoration day always falls on the days of the celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord, so in his labors on American soil, the future saint transformed church life, becoming the builder of the Holy -Nicholas Cathedral and churches of other communities in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The Dean also expressed the hope that the church life of the parishes of the deanery of the Eastern States would continue in the spirit and traditions, the foundations of which were laid by saints who worked on American soil, such as the Venerable Herman of Alaska, Hieromartyr Alexander Hotovitsky, Hierarch and Confessor Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia, thanks to whom The church has become a home for immigrants from different countries, and for Americans by birth, united many people of different nationalities and cultures.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, a joint meal was held, prepared with the help of volunteers from the Youth Department of the Patriarchal Parishes. After a meal and fraternal fellowship, an official meeting of the deanery was held in an informal atmosphere, at which the current life of the parishes was discussed.