Русская Версия

December 26, 2009
The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God visited Holy Cross Monastery

On Thursday, December 24, on the eve of the feast of Sts. Spyridon of Tremithus and Herman of Alaska, the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God arrived at Holy Cross Monastery in the rolling hills of West Virginia, near the town of Wayne. Upon greeting the wonder-working icon, His Grace, Bishop George of Mayfield, abbot of the monastery, exclaimed, "And whence it this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43). Taking the holy icon into his hands, Vladyka called upon the monastery brethren to approach the Heavenly Queen with a contrite heart, and noted, "We are not worthy to receive the Mother of God, and She came here not due to our unworthy monastic labors, but to spiritually support and uplift us." The monks of Holy Cross Monastery received the Mother of God with such love, that it is hard to find the words to describe it. All of the monks were present at each service, and no one wanted to part with the icon. The icon was brought to the monastery by diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov, who also presented every monk a wooden copy of the icon and a booklet about the Kursk Root Icon on behalf of the First Hierarch of ROCOR.

As is customary in the monastery, divine services were held every day, and the icon was present at each. During the All-Night Vigil on the eve of the feast of St. Herman, an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos was served before Her wonder-working icon. After the Divine Liturgy on Friday, Hieromonk Alexander, a resident of the monastery, took the icon around the entire property and to each monk’s cell, that the Heavenly Queen might bless the whole monastery.

Founded in 1988 and moved to West Virginia in 2000, Holy Cross Monastery is the only English-speaking monastery in the Eastern American Diocese and is home to fourteen monks. By God’s grace, the monastery is flourishing and grows every day, thanks to the energetic and unified spirit of all the monks, who fulfill their various obediences with the fear of God and especial sincerity. The monastery also owns a cow, and several goats and chickens. The monks gladly receive pilgrims, for whom a remarkable guesthouse has been constructed.

The monastery is able to continue its work thanks to donations and the sale of various homemade products, including monastery honey, soap, candles, incense, books, icons, audio recordings and more. The monastery is in serious need of donations toward the construction of a new church, and the editors kindly ask our readers to visit the monastery website and support our monks in their holy labors.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese