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August
8, 2009
Kittatinny, New Jersey: Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated the
Divine Liturgy in St. Panteleimon's Chapel
On
Saturday, August 8th, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First
Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated the Divine Liturgy
in St. Panteleimon's Chapel in Kittatinny, New Jersey. After the
Divine Liturgy the participants of the feast were offered a bountiful
luncheon in the home of M.S. Ryl who is the warden of the chapel, as
well as St. Seraphim's Church in Sea Cliff, New York.
History
of St. Panteleimon's Chapel (source: www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws)
"Seventy-five miles from New York City is the town
of Kittatinny, located in the steep, thickly-wooded mountains, which
won't be found on every map. Within these hills is the 'Indian
Trail,' along which tribes escaped the encroaching alien European
civilization. At the foot of the hills is small, beautiful Lake
Kittatinny, ensconced in green. Fifty years ago, there were not more
than twenty homes here along the lakeside. Drawn by the beauty of
the lake and the virgin forest surrounding it, Russians appeared
here some 40 years ago, with the idea of building a chapel to
service the spiritual needs of Russian vacationers. This idea was
supported by the entire local Orthodox population. According to the
plans drawn up by M.S. Ryl and approved by the faithful, a site was
prepared in the summer of 1961. In the middle of the settlement, on
a cliff, a foundation was consecrated in 1962, and the following
year, a cozy chapel went up on the land donated by M.S. Ryl and two
other locals, adorned with a cross on a golden cupola. The Orthodox
temple was joyfully accepted by the local authorities and the
Americans living in Kittatinny. They saw how earnestly and with what
love these Russians, spending hours and hours of their vacation
time, labored over the creation of the church, and they say that it
is the 'adornment and pride of Kittatinny.' On June 29, 1963, the
chapel was consecrated in honor of Great Martyr Panteleimon. The
rite of consecration was performed by Mitred Protopriest Mitrofan
Znosko-Borovsky (later Bishop of Boston)."
Click
here
for a photo-report by Nina Ledkovsky.
Media
Office of the Eastern American Diocese
