On September, 2 to an honor of celebration of 100th anniversary of St. Raphael’s of Brooklyn repose, Russian Orthodox Church Abroad gave the icon of St. Raphael, painted by monks of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, as a gift to Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

Dean of First Deanery of New York and Rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Forerunner of Brooklyn Archpriest Alexander Belya gave the holy image to ecclesiarch of St. Nikolaos Cathedral of Brooklyn archpriest Thomas Zein, who also is the representative of Antiochian Orthodox Church.

During the excursion in the St. Nikolaos Cathedral father Thomas described its history and present days. Among the shrines of the church a very special place belongs to antique Shroud of Lord Jesus, which was gifted to St. Raphael – the founder of the Cathedral, by King Nicholas II.

It should be noted that on 2 May of 2015 in the Cathedral of St. John the Forerunner took place the celebrations on the occasion of hundredth anniversary of St. Raphael’s repose. At the same time according to blessing of Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All North America Joseph (The Primate of Antiochian Archiepiscopacy) the parish of St. John received the particle of St. Raphael’s holy relics.

All those events emphasizes in a better way a many years of friendly relations between ROCA and Antiochian Orthodox Church.