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July 31, 2011
Jackson, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion led the national St. Vladimir’s Day celebrations at St. Vladimir Memorial Church to the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia

In accordance with old Diasporan tradition, the national celebration of the memory of the Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles St. Vladimir is held at St. Vladimir Memorial Church to the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia in Jackson, NJ, on the last Sunday of July. This year, the St. Vladimir’s Day celebrations were held on Saturday the 30th and Sunday the 31st of July.

St. Vladimir Church holds special significance not only for the diocese, but for the whole Russian Diaspora. Just as in olden days the Russia of Novgorod, Kiev, and Moscow united around the great cathedrals of the Holy Wisdom and the Dormition, so the Russian émigrés in the years of revolution and world war united around the memorial church to St. Vladimir – the first of the Russian saints and founder of Holy Russia and Russian culture. The former rector of St. Vladimir Church, Archpriest Vasily Musin-Pushkin of blessed repose, said of it:  "This will be not only a memorial to the Baptism of Russia and a church of St. Vladimir, but a Beacon to unite and guide us, and a Symbol of our national unity and spiritual rebirth."

On Saturday, July 30, a Liturgy for the Departed for all of the builders and benefactors of the memorial church was served in the lower Holy Virgin Protection Church, where the ever-memorable Archbishops Vitaly (Maximenko) and Nikon (Rklitsky) lay at rest.

The All-Night Vigil was led by the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York. His Eminence was co-served by His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop George of Mayfield, Archimandrite Athanasy (Mastalski; rector of the Church of our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow, in Philadelphia, PA), diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov, deputy rector Priest Serge Ledkovsky, Priest Sergio Silva (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Lakewood, NJ), Protodeacon Dimitri Temidis (cleric of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY), Deacon Nicholas Olhovsky (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville), Deacon Leonid Roschko (cleric of St. George’s Church in Howell, NJ), Deacon Valery Sukholobov (cleric of the Church of our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow), Deacon Andrei Psarev (cleric of Holy Trinity Monastery), and parish deacons Alexander Smida and Paul Drozdowski. Deacon Nathan Mousselli (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral) sang and read in the choir.

On Sunday morning, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, celebrated the Divine Liturgy, co-served by Bishop George and the above-mentioned clergy, as well as Archpriest Liubo Milosevich (rector of Holy Trinity Church in Vineland, NJ), Priest Alexey Bocharnikov (rector of St. Nicholas Church in Chester, PA), Priest Eugene Solodky (cleric of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Philadelphia), Priest Paul Ivanov (cleric of the Church of Our Lady the "Inexhaustible Chalice" in Brooklyn, NY), Archdeacon Eugene Burbelo, and Protodeacon Igor Panachev (cleric of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City). A multitude of the faithful from all corners of New Jersey and New York traditionally flock to "St. Vladimir’s Mount" to celebrate the day. A large number of worshippers, having come here to pray, filled the marvelous church.

A wonderworking copy of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Holy Trinity Monastery for the feast.

Also participating in the festal service were scouts from the St. Alexander Nevsky Division of St. George Pathfinders of America (SGPA), who accompanied the First Hierarch during the greeting before the service and during the procession.

After the Great Entrance, the First Hierarch ordained Deacon Valery Sukholobov to the priesthood, and after the Eucharistic Canon ordained Subdeacon Jason Dechenne to the diaconate. The newly ordained Priest Valery will continue his service in the Church of Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow, while the newly ordained Deacon Jason will fulfill his service in St. Joseph of Optina Church in Virginia Beach, VA.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion, during the communion of the clergy, diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov delivered the following sermon:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, on this bright and joyous feast, we travel back in our minds to ancient Kievan Rus’ and the shores of the Dnieper, to the place of the Baptism of the Russian people. But in order to truly evaluate the gift given to our people by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, we must first evaluate this memorial church. This church was built by our parents and grandparents, who were forced to abandon their homeland. While this church was being built, a second baptism of Russia was underway in the spilling of the blood of millions of new martyrs and confessors of Russia.

Today we remember the builders of this church, the archbishops Vitaly and Nikon of blessed repose, who led our people in these terrible years. They understood that Russia’s only hope was Holy Orthodoxy. And they strived to preserve Holy Russia, far from the borders of our fatherland.

On this very day in 1957, on this spot, Archbishop Nikon (Rklitsky) delivered the following sermon, saying:

"The time has come, when it is of the utmost importance for every son of the Holy Orthodox Church and Russia to renew within himself the eternal precepts of Holy Russia.

"The time is approaching, when the Russian people must return to its centuries-old Christian path, appointed for it for all time by the Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir.

"The time is approaching when the Russian people must once more take up its purpose, given to it by the Lord God for time eternal.

"The time is approaching when Russia must once more become Holy Russia, and must draw new strengths from the eternal source of life for Her political and social being."

Brothers and sisters, 54 years ago, in a time of terrible repressions against the Church, the ever-memorable Vladyka Nikon stood in this very spot, and these words sounded out under the arches of this great church. Our parents and grandparents stood on this holy spot and prayed to God with tears in their eyes for the deliverance of their longsuffering homeland from the godless Communist regime.

Who would have thought at that time, that but thirty-four years later Communism would fall, and exactly fifty one years later, Christ’s Truth would reign triumphant in our spiritually reborn Motherland, and the two halves of the Russian Church would become one?

The words of Archbishop Nikon have truly come to pass! The dreams of our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents have become reality! The Soviet Union is no more – it was wiped from the face of the earth by the Light of Christ, which illumines and enlightens the soul of the much-suffering Russian people!

The time of which Vladyka Nikon and Vladyka Vitaly dreamed has come. It is as though, from the tombs in the lower church, we can hear the gladsome rejoicing of these two pillars of our Church Abroad. The time has come to fulfill their spiritual testament, and become not only active participants in the rebirth of Russia, but witnesses of Christ’s love and guardians of the precepts of Holy Russia, as well.

It is time for us to return, together with the Russian people, to the Christian path! The time has come, when we must once more take up the purpose given to us by the Lord God! The time has come, when Russia must once more become Holy Russia!

Vladyka Nikon taught us that: "Holy Russia" is not just some legal entity or government, no! – it is a worldwide, all-encompassing idea. Holy Russia is the incarnation of the Holy Gospel in the national life of Russia, and the sowing of the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth. Understanding this wondrous idea of Russian life and embracing it – that is the duty of every Russian person, that is where our sincere joy is, that is where we are reconciled to our life and to our lot, that it is, for which we sincerely pray on this portentous day. That is the path to the rebirth of Holy Russia and to our own personal salvation.

Every stone in these walls bears witness to Russia’s Christian path. Let us as well, brothers and sisters, contribute our stone, as did our parents and grandparents, and become participants in the spiritual rebirth of Holy Russia. By supporting our hierarchs, our holy churches, and our diocese, we become participants in the spiritual rebirth of Holy Russia. Let us today lay a new foundation of our spiritual life, and may this church, a memorial to the Baptism of Russia, become the symbol of our unity and spiritual rebirth.

May the Lord God help us, by the prayers of the Equal-of-the-Apostles St. Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia, to become worthy heirs of the victorious and salvific testaments of Holy Russia. And if we accept these testaments and commit our lives to the service of Christ and His Holy Church, then we need not fear our enemies, always remembering the words of the Savior to His apostles: fear not, for "I am with you and no one shall be against you." Amen.

After the Liturgy, the traditional procession was held around the church, and the lesser blessing of the waters outside, behind the memorial church’s altar. After the blessing of the water, the First Hierarch greeted all those present, and underscored the special role of St. Vladimir Memorial Church in the history of the Church Abroad. Metropolitan Hilarion greeted the newly ordained Priest Valery and Deacon Jason, and wished them God’s aid in their paths of service to the Church. His Eminence also commemorated two ever-memorable clerics of the memorial church, who reposed in the Lord over the course of the past year: deputy rector Archpriest Boris Kizenko, and English Mission rector Archpriest Philip Petrovsky.

Metropolitan Hilarion then presented a Synodal gramota to V.A. Davidenko and N.I. Brichkalevich and their assistants: G. Adamovich, S. Klochnikov, and A. Levshin for their "righteous labors in the selfless and remarkably completion of renovation and construction in St. Vladimir Memorial Church." The gramota was read aloud by Protodeacon Igor.

After the kissing of the cross, the Russian folk festival began, while a festal banquet proceeded in the parish hall. At the banquet, parish children presented a Russian music concert in folk costumes.

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