Liturgical Services and Religious Programs Cancelled at NY Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

BOSTON – Liturgical Services, as well as the religious and other programs of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York have begun to be canceled following the developments involving its presiding priest, Archimandrite Chrysostomos Gilbert.

Fr. Gilbert was suspended from liturgical duties due to allegations “related to inappropriate communications with an adult individual,” as The National Herald revealed in both its Greek and English editions since the afternoon of Friday, May 15. He has left New York and is currently staying with relatives in Arizona.

Announcements posted on the Cathedral’s website informed the faithful of the community that the Divine Liturgy for the Leave-taking (‘apodosis’) of Pascha on Wednesday, May 20, as well as the feast of the Ascension on Thursday, May 21 – which this year coincides with the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen – have been canceled.

For both feast days, parishioners of the Cathedral are being directed to attend Services at the community of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

In addition, the Bible Study programs scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, and Wednesday, June 3, have also been canceled. As of now, no announcement has been made regarding which priest will replace, even temporarily, Fr. Chrysostomos Gilbert.

Last Sunday, May 17, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Fr. Elias Villis, Chancellor of the Direct Archdiocesan District of New York, who made no announcement other than referring to the letter issued by the other chancellor, who is also known as the National Chancellor, Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia (Papazafeiropoulos).

The National Herald also attempted on Tuesday, May 19, to contact the president of the community council, Elias Labiris, who neither answered the phone call nor responded to our message requesting that he contact us.