On Sunday, April 5, 2026, His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey celebrated the Divine Liturgy for Palm Sunday at Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Richmond, Virginia. His Eminence concelebrated the liturgy with Cathedral Dean, Fr. Philemon Patitsas and Pastor-Emeritus Fr. Nicholas Bacalis.
In his Festal Sermon His Eminence preached that Christ’s entry into Jerusalem was a testimony of His love for man. This love is manifested in His Divine Kenosis, or self emptying, in which he divested himself of any notion of earthly authority and rule to become a humble servant and sacrifice. Despite his divine kingship, he entered humbly on the colt of a donkey not to inherit a worldly kingdom but to knowingly approach his death on the Cross, a death which he approached without hesitation. In his humanity he suffered on the Cross that He may rise in His Divinity and raise all of humanity, both Jew and Gentile with Himself.
During the liturgy many newly received and illumined catechumens received the Eucharist as they began their first steps as Orthodox Christians. Following the Eucharist the students of the Sunday School processed bearing palm branches along with the altar boys and the clergy as His Eminence blessed the palm crosses. Finally, at the end of the service, his Eminence installed Fr. Philemon Patitsas as the new cathedral dean and raised him to the rank of Protopresbyter., bestowing on him the pectoral cross belonging to the office. The whole community gathered to in the community hall to share a meal in honor of His Eminence’s visit.
