Русская Версия

October 25, 2010
Brooklyn, NY: The Arrival of the Holy Fathers of the Kiev Caves in New York

"Much need not be spoken where deeds bear clear witness. And so it is with these blessed ones."
- Patericon of the Kiev Caves

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, will likely be remembered as an extraordinary event in the history of Orthodox New York, and perhaps even of the whole Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Spiritual events are recognized solely by the spirit, and nothing is coincidental. Everything is established by God, and is founded upon His blessed Providence.

New York was bustling about in its usual busy, tumultuous state. The world did not suspect that, on a Delta flight from Moscow, a new spiritual reality was about to burst in – the holy relics of the saints of the Kiev Caves were arriving on the American continent in order to be here with us, to help us by their prayerful intercession, to comfort us in grief and sorrow. In order that the Orthodox race might flourish, these headsprings of Russian spirituality came themselves to them who desired instruction in prayer, fasting, obedience, and humility.

Every minute in the life of a believer is filled with God’s wonders. Diluting with his sorrows and tears the numbing excesses of everyday life, he breathes in the moments of Divine manifestation. This side of life and nature is for him as evident as the sun, the rain, the stars… 

At the Church of the Mother of God the "Inexhaustible Chalice" in Brighton, two hours after noon, the gonfalons were loaded into the cars, the new cross, fashioned by Georgian artisan Paata Grogadze and brought from Georgia as a gift, was brought out of the altar, and the people prepared to make their way to Kennedy Airport, to greet the incomprehensible: the roots of Russian monasticism, the bearers of Orthodox holiness, the teachers, preceptors and guides to God’s Kingdom – the holy relics of 30 fathers of the Kiev Caves, those great holy men of Russian Orthodoxy!

The parish, headed by Fr. Vadim Arefiev, had dispatched to Kiev, for a meeting with Metropolitan Vladimir of all Ukraine, Archpriest Petro Sgoba and the warden’s assistant, brother George Bobul, to receive this precious gift, sent through God’s Providence to fortify and heal those suffering and thirsting for Christ’s comfort, here in the American land. In order that none might feel himself isolated from his homeland, the spiritual Stratum of Prayer deigned itself to come here… for the Spirit knoweth no bounds; He breatheth where He will…

They stopped to take a recorder, in order to convey this great event to their Orthodox progeny. For the whole drive to the airport, they sang an akathist to the venerable Fathers of the Caves.

Rarely does a procession with the Cross move through an airport terminal! The sun, joyously exulting as through on Pascha, poured its sparkling light into that worldly tumult. A refulgent and emotional Fr. Petro carried the reliquary out to be greeted! And here it was – an entity "not of this world," floating on a wondrous island through the terminal, enshrouded by a cloud of Divine grace… the procession knelt to the ground, for who could keep one’s legs in the face of an incarnate miracle? The rector of the Inexhaustible Chalice, Fr. Vadim, recalls, "We felt as though what was transpiring were unreal! It was as though the airport terminal had become the Gates of a Divine Iconostasis between the Visible and Invisible Worlds. And there – the moment! – like the Great Entrance, thirty saints come toward us sinners, bearing the King of Kings in their hands… "What words can describe what we experienced? There were no adequate words or thoughts. We only cried aloud in the terminal, 'O venerable fathers of the Kiev Caves, pray to God for us!'"

With tears in his eyes, Father Petro delivered a short sermon, thanked everyone for their prayers, and repeated his continuing disbelief at being a part of this miracle. Brother George presented an icon of the Synaxis of the Fathers of the Kiev Caves as a personal blessing from Metropolitan Vladimir.

Upon arrival in the church, a moleben to the Holy Fathers was served straightaway, and the icon and reliquary were adorned with chrysanthemum wreaths. At 8 o’clock, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and his vicar, Bishop Jerome of Manhattan, arrived. A moleben was served with the blessing of the water and singing of an akathist to the Holy Fathers of the Kiev Caves, in the presence of a multitude of worshippers. It was still hard to believe that the holy relics will remain here forever. We could not believe that from this point hence we could come at any time, and fall down and pray to these heavenly intercessors, to say nothing of the fact that these church’s doors close only for the night, and the Divine Liturgy is served four or five times a week. Metropolitan Hilarion blessed the worshippers with an abundant affusion of holy water. Everyone wanted to venerate the relics again and again.

Parishioners and brethren carried tables into the church and set them for dinner. Over dinner, Fr. Petro and brother George told everyone about their journey. Metropolitan Hilarion thanked them for the labors they had undertaken. Over the course of their discussion, it was revealed that, in an unexpected way, parish delegate George was not the only one to take part in bringing the relics to the parish, but also his brother, Ukrainian pop singer Ivo Bobul. It was he who asked Metropolitan Vladimir, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, for a meeting face-to-face, at which he asked the Metropolitan for this special spiritual gift. His Beatitude, despite his physical ailments, greeted the Brooklyn delegation without hesitation, heard their request and responded with a master’s generosity! It appears as though His Beatitude is not indifferent to the service of spiritually nourishing our homeless, alcoholic, and drug-addicted brothers and sisters – that service which the "Inexhaustible Chalice" places at the head of the corner.

For the family of George and Ivo Bobul, the incursion into their lives of the Kiev Cave Fathers had an enormous spiritual and, God willing, salvific effect! The father rector of the "Inexhaustible Chalice," thanking Ivo by phone, said: "Brother! You may not perceive to its fullest extent the degree to which you have taken part in an holy undertaking! You and I will one day be long gone, but your name will still be commemorated in our church as one of its benefactors! Christ save you!"

The hands of the clock reached midnight as parishioners spoke with Metropolitan Hilarion and Bishop Jerome. Father Vadim, recalling his recent visit to a Georgian church, told of the presentation to the parish of the "Inexhaustible Chalice" of a piece of the relics of the six thousand martyrs beheaded at St. David Gareji Monastery – renowned saints of the Georgian Church. With fear and awe we thought at that moment: "The Mother of God summons her saints from every corner of the world!"

All ye saints, pray to God for us!

Tamara Nazarova,
Editor, "Rodnik"  

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A list of the saints’ relics included in the official register from the Caves Lavra:

1. Ven. Laurence the Recluse
2. Ven. Titus the Soldier
3. Hieromartyr Lucian
4. Ven. Martyrius the Deacon
5. Ven. Aquila the Deacon
6. St. Paul, Metropolitan of Tobolsk
7. Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev
8. Ven. Euthymius the Schemamonk
9. Ven. Hilarion the Schemamonk
10. Ven. Zeno the Faster
11. Ven. Longinus the Gatekeeper
12. Ven. Theodore the Silent
13. Ven. Moses the Wonderworker
14. Ven. Paisius
15. Ven. Hypatius the Healer
16. Ven. Sisoes the Schemamonk
17. Ven. Gregory the Wonderworker
18. Ven. Paisius
19. Ven. Theodosius (Theodore, Prince of Ostrog)
20. Ven. Benjamin
21. Ven. Silvanus the Schemamonk
22. Ven. Mercurius the Faster
23. Ven. Arsenius the Lover of Labor
24. Ven. Nestor
25. Ven. Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Caves
26. Ven. Gerontius the Canonarch
27. St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Kiev
28. Ven. Theodore
29. St. Theophilus, Bishop of Novgorod
30. Ven. Zachariah the Faster

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