July 9, 2012
Framingham, MA: Bishop Jerome led the Patronal Feast Day of St. John
the Wonderworker Church
On
Sunday the 1st and Monday the 2nd of July,
St. John the Wonderworker Church in Framingham, MA celebrated
its patronal feast day. That evening saw the greeting of the Bishop
– His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Jerome of
Manhattan. Parish rector Archpriest Yaroslav Belikow greeted His
Grace with the cross, and, having welcomed him, thanked him for his
loving visit.
The clergy and many pilgrims gathered for the All-Night Vigil. The
First Hierarch’s secretary, Archpriest Serafim Gan, brought St.
John’s miter, which is kept at St. Seraphim of Sarov Church, of
which Fr. Serafim is the rector.
During the Polyeleos, a kiot with an icon of St. John containing a
piece of his relics, a piece of the
podriznik and mantle in
which the saint was buried, as well as the
podriznik in which he was
glorified. This podriznik
was presented by Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco to Fr. Yaroslav
when the latter moved from San Francisco to Framingham.
Bishop Jerome was co-served by Fr. Yaroslav, Fr. Serafim, Hieromonk
Roman (Krassovsky; acting head of the Ecclesiastical Mission in
Jerusalem), Priest David Kinghorn from Rhode Island, Protodeacon
Nicholas Olhovsky (guardian of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of
God), Deacon Eugene Kallaur (cleric of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church
in Sea Cliff, NY), Deacon Alexander Doohovskoy (cleric of St.
Xenia’s Church in Methuen, MA), and Deacon Andrei Psarev (cleric of
Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville).
After the Vigil, the sisterhood, led by head sister Olga Halperin,
offered refreshments to the clergy and some of the pilgrims who had
traveled from afar.
The
following morning, girls from the parish greeted Bishop Jerome with
flowers, sprinkling petals on the path before his feet. Then Valeriy
I. Bilday, the assistant warden, greeted His Grace with bread and
salt and welcomed him to the parish, asking the Hierarch to pray for
the growing parish, that the Lord might grant the strength necessary
to build new church.
Since the parish holds divine services in a church built into the
parish house and the altar is very small, and a large number of
worshippers was expected, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated on a
field next to the house, surrounded by dense forest. Also serving at
Liturgy was Archpriest Michael Crowley (rector of St. Xenia’s
Church).
Upon completion of the service, Bishop Jerome delivered a sermon in
which he spoke on the significance of St. John in the Russian Church
as a whole, as well as the intercession of the Saint in the private
lives of the faithful who turn to him in prayer.
After the Liturgy, everyone proceeded to a luncheon, prepared by the
sisterhood under the direction of O.A. Vasilenko, with famous chef
V. Lebedinsky and his wife Irina preparing most of the food.
At the festal luncheon, His Grace thanked the rector, sisterhood,
and parish for inviting him to take part in the feast day, for the
beautifully adorned services and the opportunity for peaceful
prayer, and for their hospitality. Fr. Yaroslav, in turn, thanked
Bishop Jerome for his prayerful participation in the feast, noting
the importance of a visit by a bishop of the Russian Church Abroad,
which reminds parishioners that they are not only members of their
little parish, but are also a part of the Eastern American Diocese,
part of the Russian Orthodox Church, and part of Christ’s Universal
Church.
Republication of materials must include a reference to:
"Eastern American Diocese www.eadiocese.org."
