On 4 March 2012, the first Sunday of Lent, hieromonk Alexander (Siniakov), rector of the Russian Orthodox Theological Seminary in France, and students of the theological school, attended the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St Stephen in Paris of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Traditionally, Orthodox immigrants, members of the Local Churches, gather for common prayer on the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
Metropolitan Emmanuel of France (Patriarchate of Constantinople) officiated at the Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating were Metropolitan John of Western Europe (Patriarchate of Antioch); Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe (Russian Church Outside of Russia); and priests of the Georgian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, the website of the Korsun diocese reports. Singing at the service were choirs of the Greek church, Russian Seminary, and Georgian and Serbian parishes in the Paris region.
At Metropolitan Emmanuel’s request hieromonk Alexander (Siniakov) delivered a sermon after the reading from the Gospel.
The Liturgy was followed by the Office of the Triumph of Orthodoxy and the thanksgiving prayer at the holy icons. Metropolitan Emmanuel greeted his concelebrants and noted that Archbishop Michael of Geneva celebrated in the Greek church in Paris for the first time. He also thanked the rector and students of the Russian Seminary for participating in the Liturgy.