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August 12, 2009
Wayne, WV: Feast of St. Panteleimon at Holy Cross Monastery

When the Holy Cross Monastery was founded and dedicated to the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross, the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon was taken as its primary heavenly patron. Every morning in the monastery, a moleben is served before the relic and icon of St. Panteleimon for the healing of the sick and suffering. Over the years, the monastery has received the aid of St. Panteleimon and keeps his feast day with great solemnity.

His Grace, Bishop George of Mayfield, Abbot of the Monastery, served the All-Night Vigil on Saturday night with the monastery clergy and visiting clergy from local Orthodox churches. After the Eulogitaria, the akathist to the Great Martyr was read by the hierarch and the clergy, accompanied by the singing of the monastery choir and enthusiastic responses from the pilgrims filling the temple. A large number of pilgrims attended, coming from neighboring areas and as far away as New York for the feast. On Sunday morning, the Lesser Blessing of Water was served at 8:00 AM. The meeting of the bishop took place at 9:00 AM. Around 60 clergy and faithful communed of the Holy Mysteries, and Bishop George delivered a homily in which he recounted the miracles of St. Panteleimon recorded by the Holy Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mt. Athos. His Grace exhorted the monastics and pilgrims to pray fervently to this great and powerful saint for the “healing of physical and spiritual afflictions.” After the dismissal, a moleben was begun in the monastery church and a crucession made its way to the monastery’s open-air chapel, where the Holy Gospel was read. Coming back to the monastery’s main temple, hundreds of names, submitted by mail in the weeks preceding the Feast, were read during the petitions for the sick and suffering. All of the pilgrims were sprinkled with Holy Water and received icons of St. Panteleimon after the Divine Services.

A festive luncheon was served after the solemn divine services, and His Grace, Bishop George, thanked all those who worked hard to prepare for the feast day, and those who traveled to pray with the monastics and honor St. Panteleimon. It is worth noting that the monastery’s small church and refectory were full to capacity, highlighting the need for a larger temple and trapeza. The trapeza is actually a double-wide mobile home with a tiny kitchen, where the monastery regularly hosts over 50 people on holy days.

Holy Cross Monastery urges those who would like to be commemorated during the molebens to St. Panteleimon to submit names by mail to:

Holy Cross Monastery
RR 2 Box 2343
Wayne, WV 25570

Donations which will help the monastery to build a larger temple and refectory are also greatly appreciated.

Click here for a photo-report of the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy. 

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese