Русская Версия

February 5, 2010
The Kursk Root Icon visited churches in Northeastern Florida

On Thursday the 4th and Friday the 5th of February, the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God visited churches in northeastern Florida. On the road to Jacksonville, the icon’s retinue stopped in St. Augustine, the oldest continually inhabited city in the United States (founded 1565). Located in the city’s historic district, which encircles the old Castillo de San Marcos fort, is the Greek National Shrine and Chapel of St. Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople, part of the historical museum founded in honor of the first Greeks (and the first Orthodox Christians) to settle in the New World in 1768, and in St. Augustine in 1778, who prayed in this home chapel. The museum-chapel administrators, Greek Orthodox Christians themselves, venerated the icon with especial joy at the unexpected visit. In gratitude for the icon’s visit, they allowed those traveling with the icon to see and venerate a marvelous reliquary with relics of many great God-pleasing saints. The 18 relics were of the following saints:

- The Holy Apostles Peter & Paul
- The Holy Apostle Titus
- St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
- The Holy Martyr Haralambos
- St. Anthony the Great
- St. Ambrose
- St. Athanasius the Great
- Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom
- The Holy Equals-of-the-Apostles Sts. Constantine & Helen
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem
- St. Gregory of Nyssa
- St. Cyril of Alexandria
- St. Sava
- St. John of Damascus

It was wonderful to see the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora next to the relics of St. John Chrysostom, whose honorable head will soon be brought to the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, the home of this wonder-working icon.

The icon then continued its travels, arriving shortly thereafter in Jacksonville, the largest city in Florida. The city is named in honor of Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of Florida and seventh president of the United States, although the city itself is much older. There the rector, clergy, and parishioners of St. Justin Martyr Church (OCA) greeted the icon, followed by a moleben with akathist. The moleben was led by diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov, co-served by rector Archpriest Theodore Pisarchuk, Hieromonk Arkady (Migunov; parish cleric), Priest Sergius Clark (parish cleric), Hieromonk David (Pierce; rector of Holy Cross Hermitage in Jacksonville), and parish Deacon Jacob Hatch. Also praying in church was Deacon Leo Opie (ROCOR cleric). Upon completion of the service, Fr. Serge presented the rector with a copy of the Kursk Icon – a blessing from the First Hierarch of ROCOR, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion. The following morning the icon visited Holy Cross Hermitage in Jacksonville, and then continued traveling north, to Georgia.

Photographs from St. Augustine

Photographs from Jacksonville

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese