From March 16 to 18, three of our priests — Frs. John Johnson, Alexander Resnikoff, and Damian Dantinne – took part in the Eastern American Diocesan annual Lenten Clergy Retreat, held at St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ. (Our cathedral rector, Archpriest Victor Potapov, had to stay home both because his matushka had taken ill, and in order to ensure that the ordinary course of parish life would continue uninterrupted.) At the conclusion of the Retreat, our clergy, enriched by the experience of fellowship with their fellow clergymen from around the Diocese, departed for home, bringing with them the myrrh-streaming "Softener of Evil Hearts" Icon, accompanied by its guardian, Sergey Fomin. Along the way to Washington, they visited Holy Transfiguration Church in Baltimore, MD, whose parishioners had been waiting in eager anticipation of the Icon’s arrival. At the church in Baltimore, our priests served a moleben and akathist, and shared the meal prepared by the sisterhood of Holy Transfiguration parish.

The next day, Thursday, March 19, the wonderworking Icon was greeted with due solemnity at Washington’s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. In its presence, the appointed moleben and akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos were served before her Icon.

The wonderworking Icon was present in our church for the next four days at all of the morning and evening Lenten services.

On Friday evening, March 20, a historic Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts took place. It was served in English, using the translation done in the 18th Century by Colonel Philipp Ludwell, an Orthodox Christian and country gentleman from Virginia. You can read more detailed information about this here.

On Saturday, March 21, following the penultimate Soul Saturday Liturgy of this year’s Great Lent, the Icon visited the neighboring parish in Beltsville, MD. The Icon was returned to the cathedral for the regular meeting of the "Putivl" (SGPA) scout troop. All of the scouts venerated the Icon and were anointed with holy myrrh. Sergei, the Icon’s guardian, gave to those gathered a brief account of the Icon’s history and the miracles that have flowed from it.

During the English-language Vigil and the Slavonic-language Vigil that followed, a great multitude of the faithful came to Confession, to be able to cleanse themselves of their sins and commune of Christ’s Holy Gifts the following day.

His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, who served at the Slavonic Vigil on Saturday evening, headed the celebration of the Sunday Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating at that Liturgy were all ten clergymen of the cathedral. The Slavonic and English cathedral choirs — under the direction of Y.A. Petcherkin and Paula Genis, respectively — chanted the service. At Holy Communion, five chalices were used to commune a great number of people. His Grace gave a homily that, as usual, was excellent; his homily dealt with the Lord’s healing of the possessed youth. A video recording of the homily is available here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Fw0s7g14s

Orthodox Washingtonians continued to pray before the wonderworking Icon for a long time after the Divine Liturgy had concluded. Each person received a little copy of the Icon as a memento. While prayers continued in the church, in the parish hall, a festal meal provided by our Holy Protection Sisterhood was served.

On Sunday evening, and in the presence of the Holy Icon, the Sacrament of Holy Unction was held for the entire parish. The Sacrament was headed by Bishop Nicholas, assisted by six priests and four deacons. Hundreds of people were able to receive the grace of the Holy Mystery.

On Monday, we bade farewell to the wonderworking Icon. Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell; dean of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV) and Sergei, the Icon’s guardian, set out on the seven-hour long journey to that Holy Monastery.

Meanwhile, at the cathedral, the ordinary cycle of daily services continued, as did labors to properly prepare the church and parish house for the Great Feast of Holy Pascha, and for the reception of more guests.

On March 28, after the Liturgy for the Saturday of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, 14 young parishioners assembled at the parish section of Rock Creek Cemetery, where many of the founders and benefactors of our Cathedral are interred, in order to tidy up the area around our Iveron Chapel and the many gravesites. Meanwhile, another group of parishioners was in the Parish Hall, baking kulichi, cleaning candle stands, and painting. While this was going on, our sisterhood was welcoming our new guests: nine students and three professors from the Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY.

This group of upper-classmen from ROCOR’s sole institution of higher religious education in the USA came to the nation’s capital for 2½ days in order to have fellowship with the clergy and parishioners of the cathedral and to familiarize themselves with the practical side of life in one of the largest parishes of our Diocese.

At the Liturgy for the Saturday of the Akathist, Stojan Andov, a seminarian from Macedonia, preached an inspired homily. A video recording of his homily is available here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBfXg7PWIog

After the Liturgy, a meal was served in the new parish library, and after the meal, there was a conference on Pastoral Theology. At the gathering, His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, former Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, made a presentation. His talk was followed by presentations made by Priest Patrick Viscuso, a canonist renowned throughout the Orthodox world, and by cathedral rector Fr. Victor.

The seminarians listened intently to the lecturers' words, and asked quite a few pertinent questions.

After the early, English-language, Vigil, the seminarians took advantage of their free time to visit some of the capital’s sights. In the evening they returned to the parish, where, after the Slavonic Vigil, an evening meal awaited them. At the meal, they continued to have fellowship with the cathedral clergy.

The next morning, after the English Liturgy, Professor Vitaly Permiakov gave a talk on liturgical aspects of the fifth week of Great Lent. Also, seminarians spoke about their experience of living and studying in Jordanville. Later, the students went to the renowned Byzantine Studies Center "Dumbarton Oaks." There they had the opportunity to view its remarkable collection of Christian art.

At the meal following the Sunday Slavonic Liturgy, Deacon Andrei Psarev, an instructor at Holy Trinity Seminary, presented a talk entitled, "What is Canon Law?" His talk was well received, and elicited many questions, which our canonist addressed in an exemplary manner.

The meeting concluded with a short presentation by Priest Ephraim Willmarth, Administrator of the Seminary, on the role of the seminary in the life of the Russian Church Abroad. He also offered his heartfelt thanks to the clergy and parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist for their cordial hospitality toward the students.

In response, Fr. Victor stated that the parish was quite willing to host such meetings with seminarians every year.

After the students had departed, the clergy and parishioners of the cathedral returned to their tasks of preparation for Passion Week and for the Feast of Feasts and Celebration of Celebrations…

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Source

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese