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It was a beautiful, bright, and balmy afternoon, August 18, 2004, when the lengthy procession of some thirty-three Archbishops and Bishops and over seventy Priests and Deacons solemnly made its way into the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Annunciation, the Mother Church of the Eparchy, for the Divine Liturgy of Enthronement. With great anticipation, the Faithful, representing many churches in the Eparchy, filled the Cathedral.
After the solemn vesting of the new Archbishop by the Deacons, Father Eugene Mitchell, B.S.O., Rector of the Cathedral, called upon His Excellency Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, the Pope's personal representative to our country, to come forward to read the Papal Bull proclaiming Archbishop Cyril Bustros as the Fourth Eparch of Newton. Then, His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III, Father of Fathers and Shepherd of Shepherds of the Melkite Church, imparted the pastoral staff of authority to Archbishop Cyril instructing him to rule, govern, and guide the Eparchy of Newton with firmness and love. The Pontifical Divine Liturgy then followed.
After the congregation had received the Precious Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion and the Divine Liturgy had concluded, Bishop John Elya, now Eparch Emeritus of Newton escorted his successor, Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, from the Holy Doors to ascend the Hierarchical Throne of his new Cathedral for the first time. From his Eparchial Throne, the new Eparch solemnly blessed the clergy and people with the Dikirion and Trikirion, the two and three-branched candles that symbolize the two Natures of Christ and the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. Then, the Clergy and the people came forward to kiss the hand of the new Eparch as a sign of loyalty and obedience.
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Eastern bishops attending the enthronement |
Patriarch Gregorios III Archbishop Montalvo, Papal Nuncio, Bishop John and Archbishop Cyril pause for a moment before entering the Cathedral |
The procession into the church before the enthronement of the new Eparch of Newton |
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The Patriarch blesses the clergy and people |
Eparchial Clergy in attendance at the Enthronement |
Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Montalvo read Papal Bull proclaiming Archbishop Cyril Bustros Fourth Eparch of Newton. |
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Archbishop Cyril, Eparch of Newton |
The Patriarch blesses the clergy and people |
Archbishop Cyril receives the obeisance of clergy and people after his Enthronement |