NOTE: In most cases, only rubrics that are unique to the Bishop’s presence are noted here.

 

The Bishop is received in the back of the Church in the usual manner, except that after the Priest places the Gospel Book on the Antimins, he closes the Royal Doors, exits the Altar through the south door, and takes his place in line with the clergy. After blessing the people from the solea, the fully vested Deacons, with Trikirion and Dikirion lit and in hand, exit the north (Second Deacon) and south (First Deacon) doors. They come together in the center of the solea and stand next to the Bishop, with the First Deacon being on his right and the Second Deacon being on his left. The Bishop and the two Deacons do the Kairon. At the end of the Kairon, the Bishop takes the Trikirion and blesses the people as the people sing aloud, “Eis polla eti, Dhespota.” The Bishop enters the Altar, followed by the Deacons, through the Royal Doors and the Royal Doors are closed. The Bishop vests in the usual manner while the people remain quiet.

 

After the Bishop has fully vested, the Deacons open the Royal Doors and the Clergy proceed out through the Royal Doors. The Priests go first from Junior to Senior followed by the Deacons with Trikirion and Dikirion. They assemble in the center of the solea as the people sing, “Eis polla eti, Dhespota.” The Bishop then proceeds to his place on the solea. The Bishop faces east, the Priests face north and south on each side of the Bishop, forming a corridor to the Altar and the Deacons stand behind the Bishop on each side.

 

The first Deacon approaches the Bishop facing west with his back to the Altar and exchanges the “Opening Dialogue” with the Bishop. When the Bishop says, “Thy Priesthood and thy Deaconate, the Lord God remember…”  the Priest makes one metania, asks the Bishop’s blessing and kisses his right hand, followed by the Deacon who does the same. The Priest proceeds through the Royal Doors and the Deacon proceeds to stand before the Icon of Christ.

 

After making three metanias in their respective places, the Priest and the Deacon bow together to the Bishop and then the Deacon says in a loud voice, “Bless, Master!” After the Priest completes, “Blessed is the Kingdom…” the Deacon and the Priest turn and bow together to the Bishop. The Priest takes his place on the south side of the Holy Table facing north. The Priest reads the seven lamp lighting prayers from the south side of the Holy Table. After the Psalm, the Deacon intones the Great Ektenia. At the commemoration of the Hierarchs, the Deacon turns, points his orarion and bows to the Bishop being commemoratedwhile the Priest bows from the Royal Doors. At the conclusion of the Ektenia, the Priest moves in front of the Holy Table to intone the exclamation.

 

After the Priest intones the exclamation, the first Deacon bows to the bishop and returns to his place behind the Bishop, and the junior Deacon, with Trikirion or Dikirion in hand, bows to the Bishop, enters the Altar through the south door and takes the censer as the chanters begin, “O Lord, I have cried…” The junior Deacon, without asking the Priest’s blessing on the incense, does the Great Censing. After censing the Holy Table, the Prothesis, and the High Place, he exits the Altar through the north door. He asks the Bishop’s Blessing on the incense and censes him three times. After censing the Icons on the Iconostasis and the west of the Church, he censes the Bishop nine times (three sets of three), the people, and the Bishop nine times, again. He completes the censing in the usual manner. After giving up the censer, he exits the Altar through the south door and takes his place among the deacons near the bishop.

 

At the "Glory" of the "Lord I have Cried," the Deacons bow to the bishop and enter the Altar through the north door. The Little Entrance is made with the first Deacon carrying the Gospel Book and the second Deacon carrying both Trikirion and Dikirion. The first Deacon passes behind the Bishop and goes to his right side. The second Deacon stops on the Bishop’s left side. The Deacon takes his orarion off of the Gospel, places the Gospel over his left shoulder, points his orarion at the Royal Doors and says to the Bishop, “Bless, Master, the holy Entrance.” The Deacon replaces the orarion over the Gospel while the Bishop blesses the Entrance. The Deacon offers the Gospel Book for veneration by the Bishop, himself kissing the Bishop’s right hand. The first Deacon turns and faces the Royal Doors while the second Deacon gives the Trikirion and the Dikirion to the Bishop, himself kissing the Bishop’s hand. Once the Theotokion is complete, the first Deacon elevates the Gospel Book and intones, “Wisdom! Stand aright!” He immediately enters the Altar through the Royal Doors and places the Gospel Book on the Antimins while the people sing, “O Gladsome light…”. As the Bishop blesses the people, the people sing “Eis polla eti, Dhespota.”

 

The Bishop then enters the Altar through the Royal Doors, followed by the second Deacon and then the Priests. The Bishop hands the Trikirion and Dikirion to the Deacons, who take their places at the southwest and northwest corner of the Holy Table. 

 

Following the Old Testament Readings, the first Deacon with Trikirion in hand, turns toward the west and says, in a loud voice, “Let us pray to the Lord.” The Bishop does the exclamation and the second Deacon with Dikirion in hand, turns toward the west and finishes with “and unto ages of ages.”  The Thrice-Holy Hymn is augmented as follows:

 

People: As many of you as have been baptized, etc.

 

The second Deacon hands the Dikirion to the Bishop, kissing the Bishop’s hand.

 

Clergy: As many of you as have been baptized, etc.

 

People: As many of you as have been baptized, etc.

 

The first Deacon hands the Trikirion to the Bishop, kissing the Bishop’s hand.

 

Clergy: As many of you as have been baptized, etc.

 

People: Glory to Father, etc. Have put on Christ, alleluia.

 

During the Glory the Deacons with nothing in hand, proceed out through the Royal Doors, switching sides and taking their places on the Solea. The First Deacon near the Icon of the Theotokos and the second Deacon near the Icon of Christ.

 

People: As many of you.

 

Bishop: O Lord, O Lord, look down from Heaven, etc.

 

People: Eis polla eti, Dhespota. As have been baptized into Christ.

 

Bishop: O Lord, O Lord, look down from Heaven, etc.

 

People: Eis polla eti, Dhespota. Have put on Christ.

 

Bishop: O Lord, O Lord, look down from Heaven, etc.

 

The Bishop hands the Trikirion and Dikirion to the Deacons; they switch sides and enter the Altar through the Royal Doors.

 

People: Eis polla eti, Dhespota. Alleluia.

 

Facing west, with Trikirion in hand, the first Deacon says:

Deacon: Dynamis.

 

People: Dynamis. As many of you as have been baptized, etc.

 

Facing west, with Trikirion in hand, the first Deacon says:

Deacon: O Lord, save the faithful.

 

People: O Lord, save the faithful.

 

Facing west, with Dikirion in hand, the second Deacon says:

Deacon: O Lord, save those of true worship.

 

People: O Lord, save those of true worship.

 

Facing west, with Trikirion in hand, the first Deacon says:

Deacon: And hear us.

 

People: And hear us.

 

During the Epistle Reading, the junior Deacon takes the censer, and, with Trikirion or Dikirion in hand, asks the Bishop’s Blessing on the incense. The Deacon censes the four sides of the Holy Table, the Prothesis, the High Place and gives up the censer. The Bishop gives the Peace at the end of the Epistle. Following the Epistle Reading, the Bishop throws the bay leaves in the procession around the Church in the usual manner.

 

The remainder of the service follows the rubrics of the regular Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.