June 12, 2014
Myrrh-Streaming Hawaiian "Iveron" Icon of the Mother of God visits Republic of Georgia

At the invitation of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian "Iveron" Icon of the Mother of God visited the Republic of Georgia from May 6-23. On its first visit to the land of Iberia (from which the Iveron Icon draws its name), the Icon was accompanied by a delegation of clergy from the Russian Church Abroad – Archpriest John Sorochka (dean of Pennsylvania and of St. John the Baptist Cathedral – Mayfield, PA), Archpriest Vladimir Derugin (rector of Protection of the Holy Virgin Church – Palo Alto, CA), Deacon Nathaniel Sorochka (cleric of St. John the Baptist Cathedral – Mayfield, PA), Subdeacon James Krenitsky (Philadelphia, PA), Reader Nectarios (Hawaii; guardian of the icon), Monk-Subdeacon Nikon (Provatakis; Holy Cross Monastery ‒ Wayne, WV).

The Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the most ancient Christian churches in the world. In 342 AD, Christianity had already become the state religion; and, despite the many twists and turns of history, many marvelous churches, built as far back as the 4th-6th centuries, have been preserved here. Georgians consider Orthodoxy to be their chief inheritance, and every family safeguards their traditions.

The myrrh-streaming image of the Most Holy Theotokos visited the cities of Tbilisi (the capital) and Batumi, as well as monasteries and parishes across the country, where the multitudinous faithful of the Georgian Orthodox Church had an opportunity to pray before it. At the request of the Catholicos-Patriarch, the holy Icon was brought to a prison chapel, where even those convicted of heinous crimes were able to venerate it.

It is worth noting that the Icon is a copy of the myrrh-streaming "Montreal" Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, manufactured at the Sofrino church supply store; it was given as a gift to Reader Nectarios by Archpriest Anatole Lyovin, and began streaming myrrh in Hawaii in 2007. The fact that the Hawaiian Iveron Icon left the West for the first time to visit Georgia is especially significant, since according to Church tradition, Georgia – Iberia – is called an appanage, or abode, of the Mother of God, alongside such holy lands as Athos, the Kiev Caves Lavra, and the St. Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery.

The Icon’s pilgrimage to the Georgian land was organized to coincide with an international symposium on the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Orthodox Church, which took place in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities.

Archpriest John Sorochka, who accompanied the Icon, was especially impressed by the spiritual mindset and warmth with which the people greeted the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Icon, as well as with the warm welcome shown to the delegation accompanying the Icon from the Russian Church Abroad; and the tears with which the people greeted the Most Holy Theotokos.

"Every place we went, we were just invaded by so many people – thousands and thousands of people – In each of these places, even in the smallest hamlets, we had a couple of thousand people there. That was a moving situation... It touched us dearly, because we felt so comfortable that we truly were among our brothers and sisters. And the joy that was spilt by those people in Georgia is truly something that we’re going to remember for a whole lifetime... And the impression is truly one of Christian love that was shown to everyone."

Fr. John noted that, though every church had its own flavor, the people everywhere were identical in their faith, love, and respect. "And with the bishops of the Church, Patriarch Ilia and all the metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops that we met, it was truly a great joy for each of us to be received with such humility. Nothing grandiose… Yes, the services were, but yet, deep down we saw the humility of clergy and also of the people. And when we saw so many people venerating this wonderful miraculous icon, we were absolutely moved."

People came to the holy Icon day and night ‒ the elderly, the young, women with their children. Fr. John recalled the moment when the Icon departed from Tbilisi’s main Holy Trinity (‘Sameba’) Cathedral: "At 1:30 in the morning, we saw two or three thousand people who were standing in the line waiting to venerate the Icon, and we saw they burst into tears when they saw that the Icon was leaving. The entourage of people followed us to the airport: ‘Stay! Let us go with you!’ they shouted." At the airport, the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Richard Norland, and his wife greeted the myrrh-streaming Icon and the delegation. A moleben and akathist were chanted by Georgian clergy and faithful in a private terminal as the delegation waited for their departure back to the U.S. (see Patriarchate TV, "Saying Goodbye to the Hawaiian Iveron Icon" here).

At the Iveron Monastery in Makhata, at whose center a massive cathedral is still being built, 25,000 people attended the service. According to Army estimates, a crowd of up to 200,000 people came to greet the holy Icon that day, including the current Prime Minister, his wife and other government ministers, yet only 50,000 were given church access. Over 1,000 soldiers, along with 500 police officers kept crowd control during the visitation. Even the pouring rain that began after noon, the thunder and lightning, did not deter them. "It was determination on their part, they wanted to be with their Mother, and they did their best," recalled Fr. John. "And we felt this throughout Georgia, wherever we went."

As Fr. John noted, though the myrrh-streaming Icon was visiting the Georgian land, many came from neighboring regions to venerate the holy image, including those from the Russian regions neighboring Georgia. During the pilgrimage with the Icon to ancient Iberia, Reader Nectarios gave several televised interviews, relating to the Georgian faithful stories about the long-awaited Icon.

"This pilgrimage cannot be summed up in a just a few words," recalled Deacon Nathaniel Sorochka. "The feeling of such warmth and love from the people of Georgia was so much, not in a way of over-abundance, but in a way that was so natural to them that you felt at home. What really impressed me was that no matter what time of day or night, there were thousands of people that were present. They waited in line for many hours to spend a few seconds to venerate and pray before the Mother of God. Many young adults would stand in line or next to the church with a prayer book and read their prayers.

"The youth, from school-aged children to teenagers, were present with a group of friends to share with each other the opportunity to be with the Mother of God. When you looked at their faces, you saw how much they love their Faith, how much they love the Theotokos. They eagerly went to the churches and monasteries to have that time with the Mother of God. What a feeling to see this in the youth!"

During the trip, almost 3,000 photographs were taken. Fr. John Sorochka has announced that, using these photographs, a presentation will be prepared for the parishioners of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Mayfield, during which the faithful will bear witness to the pilgrimage of the myrrh-streaming Icon to the holy land of Georgia, chosen by the Most Holy Theotokos herself as one of her abodes here on earth.

Photographs courtesy of Deacon Nathaniel Sorochka: Part I  Part II

 

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese