November 4, 2012
"For the Chosen of the Mother of God:" An Article on the Pilgrimage
to Holy Trinity Monastery
On
Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of October, the annual
pilgrimage (performed since 1998) was held to
Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. The trip was planned
for the weekend closest to the 15th anniversary of the murder of
Brother Joseph Muñoz-Cortes, the faithful guardian of the
myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God of Montreal.
Parishioners of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC
prepared well ahead of time for the pilgrimage. A large quantity of
food needed to be bought and prepared not only for the trip, but for
the brethren of Holy Trinity Monastery, so that the monks might not
be overburdened worrying for them and for other pilgrims. On the eve
of their departure, over the course of several hours, the parish
priests confessed all those desiring to partake of Christ’s Holy
Mysteries at Holy Trinity Monastery.
On Saturday, October 27, several hours before dawn, 155 pilgrims
departed on two large buses and in 14 cars on their seven-hour
voyage. Along the way, the pilgrims prayed and listened to stories
about the monastery, the Montreal Icon of the Mother of God, the
life and death of Brother Joseph, and the newly appeared Hawaiian
Iveron Icon.
At 1:30 PM, the pilgrims had arrived. After a short, half-hour break
at the two hotels (one adjacent to the monastery and one in a nearby
town) they arrived at the monastery cemetery, where they were
greeted by His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, Holy Trinity
Monastery abbot Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), and a multitude of
pilgrims from other towns across America and Canada. Not long after,
the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon arrived, accompanied by her
guardian, Reader Nectarios. The Icon was placed on an
analogion to the right of Bother Joseph’s grave, which was adorned
with red roses, arranged in the form of the three-bar cross. The
grave was ablaze with an array of candles and lamps – gifts from the
faithful pilgrims to the chosen of the Mother of God. At the center
of the grave was located a metallic lamp, a gift from the Optina
Hermitage. Over the course of the entire year, a monk carefully and
laboriously gathers oil from this lamp, to be distributed to those
who honor Brother Joseph’s memory.
The weather was warm – cloudy, but without rain. At 3:30 PM, the
Most Reverend Metropolitan Hilarion, Primate of ROCOR, led a solemn
panihida for the martyred Brother Joseph. His Eminence was co-served
by Archimandrite Luke, Archpriest Victor Potapov (rector of St. John
the Baptist Cathedral in Washington), Priest John Johnson (cleric of
the same), Hieromonk Gabriel (Astrakhankine; cleric of Holy Trinity
Monastery), Hierodeacon Tikhon (Gayfudinov; cleric of the Synodal
Cathedral of the Sign), and Deacon Damian Dantinne (cleric of the
Washington cathedral). The pilgrims sang the service. After the
service for the departed, Fr. Victor Potapov reminded those gathered
that, this year, we celebrate three momentous anniversaries: the
30th anniversary of the beginning of the Montreal-Iveron Icon of the
Mother of God streaming myrrh (November 24, 1982), the 15th
anniversary of the murder of Brother Joseph (October 31, 1997), and
the fifth anniversary of the finding of the Hawaiian Iveron Icon of
the Mother of God (October 6, 2007). Fr. Victor further explained
that the Hawaiian Icon (produced in Russia as an exact copy of the
Montreal Icon, only smaller in size) is a radiant confirmation that
the Act of Canonical Communion, signed five years ago in 2007 by the
two great hierarchs – His Holiness, Patriarch Alexey II, and His
Eminence, Metropolitan Laurus – was truly a God-pleased endeavor; it
was for this event that the murder Brother Joseph prayed, as well.
After
the panihida, prayerful interaction continued at the martyr’s
gravesite and in the presence of the Hawaiian Icon. Various hymns
were sung to the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as a "Canon and
Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos before her wonderworking
Iveron-Montreal Icon," published in Russia in 2007 with the blessing
of His Holiness, Patriarch Alexey II. Every pilgrim was able to
receive a booklet with the akathist, as well as various pamphlets
about Brother Joseph, an akathist to the martyr composed in Russia,
dirt and oil from his grave, and copies of the Hawaiian Icon, with a
piece of cotton soaked in myrrh attached.
On the evening of the pilgrimage’s first day, His Eminence,
Metropolitan Hilarion, led the All-Night Vigil in the monastery
cathedral, which was filled to capacity. The Metropolitan anointed
all of the worshippers present with holy myrrh. The seminary choir,
under the skilled direction of its young conductor, Nicholas Kotar,
sang gracefully, steeped in prayer. Many of the pilgrims told the
author of these words that in church they felt themselves separated
from the earth, not even noticing that the service continued for
over three hours…
On Sunday, October 28, 215 people communed from three chalices at
the triumphal Liturgy, celebrated by Metropolitan Hilarion, who was
co-served by ten priests and five deacons. After the Communion of
the clergy, Fr. Victor Potapov reminded the faithful in his sermon
that, in that Liturgy’s Gospel reading on the Sower, Christ the
Savior twice spoke the words, "He who hath ears to hear, let him
hear!" (Luke 8:8,15). This means that Christ wanted His audience to
pay special attention to the truth He wished to impart upon them.
Fr. Victor further invited all those "who have ears to hear" to heed
the important words of ROCOR’s hierarchs in 2002 in conjunction with
the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Icon:
"This icon, which abundantly streamed holy myrrh, comforted our
Russian Church Abroad for 15 years as a visible and palpable sign of
the Mother of God’s kindhearted intercession for us sinners… Did we
conduct ourselves worthily during the period when our Church was
graced with the presence of this clearly miraculous icon? Did we
make the most of the period of our Lord’s Mother’s visitation for
the benefit of our souls ‒ and is not our shared and common sin of
allowing our hearts to cool toward this holy image and to prayer, to
good and charitable works and to the witnessing of the Orthodox
faith, the real reason that God allowed this icon to be taken away
from us?
"With trembling gratitude let us prayerfully remember the time when
this wondrous myrrh-streaming icon remained in our Church, and with
repentance let us pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for the remission
of our sins, and for the establishment of peace in our Orthodox
Church..."
Father Victor further noted that the decade-old appeal by the
hierarchs is just as relevant to us today. In 1997, the Montreal
Icon was hidden from us, and her guardian murdered. We had grown
accustomed to the Miracle then; some had become indifferent to this
undeniable manifestation of God’s mercy – but, in the words of
Brother Joseph, "we must not grow accustomed to miracles." With the
appearance of a new wonderworking icon, the Hawaiian Icon, the Lord
is giving us an opportunity to right ourselves.
"For
what reason was the icon returned?" asked Fr. Victor rhetorically.
"Was it not because the Lord is moving us in the direction of
glorifying the Martyr Joseph and numbering him among the saints of
our Church? Brother Joseph and the Montreal Icon were inseparable.
They left us together. The Icon has returned; Brother Joseph’s
memory must likewise be restored, and this martyr’s veneration
accepted by the whole Church."
After the Liturgy, a moleben was served before the Hawaiian Icon,
asking for deliverance from destructive force of Hurricane Sandy,
which was bearing down on the East Coast.
Upon completion of the luncheon, pilgrims gathered in the main hall
of Holy Trinity Seminary for an exhibition of Brother Joseph’s
personal belongings, among which were photographs, journals, prayer
ropes, sketches, prayer books, and other items.
A short seminar, dedicated to Brother Joseph’s memory, was held in
the seminary hall in the presence of the Hawaiian Icon. The first
speaker was Yury Popovsky, a doctor from Geneva, who came to
Jordanville with his 15-year-old daughter Xenia – the last
goddaughter of the chosen of the Mother of God. Brother Joseph met
his martyric death only 20 days after her baptism. With visible
emotion, the speaker shared his memories of Brother Joseph, and
about how myrrh from the Montreal Icon rendered miraculous healing
to some of his hopelessly ill patients.
The next speaker was Henri Macuque, who flew from France for the
third time to participate in the pilgrimage to Brother Joseph’s
grave. He spoke of his meeting with Brother Joseph at the monastery
in Lesna on October 3, 1997, and of the deep marks their
conversation left on his heart. Speaking to Henri, Brother Joseph
said that he could foresee coming sufferings and death for Christ.
"In our days we are expected to witness our faith through martyrdom.
Perhaps this will not be expected of you (Henri), but of me." Henri
is preparing to convert to Holy Orthodoxy, and hopes to be baptized
on the Greek isle of Andros, in St. Nicholas Monastery – the same
monastery that Brother Joseph visited on the eve of his sufferings,
and where, upon Brother Joseph’s arrival in the church, an icon of
the Theotokos began to weep...
Jorge (George) Hernandez, an Orthodox Cuban living in New York City,
comes to Brother Joseph’s grave every year with his wife. He told
those gathered that he first heard of Brother Joseph on the
religious radio program "Voice of America" in the 1980s, when he
lived in Moscow. Listening to the broadcast through the frightful
static caused by Soviet radio jamming, he was deeply touched by the
fact that it was an Orthodox Latino that had been chosen for the
obedience of guarding the wonderworking icon. Jorge also noted that
all of his trips to the martyr’s grave were linked with every sort
of obstacle and temptation – but, overcoming them through God’s
grace, he always received spiritual comfort by visiting it. Jorge
Hernandez called on everyone to visit the grave of the chosen of the
Mother of God, and to ask his prayerful intercession. "You will be
comforted," he said unwaveringly.
The
seminar’s final speaker was Reader Nectarios, guardian of
the myrrh-streaming Hawiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. He
said that his personal experience had convinced him of the weighty
cross borne by Brother Joseph who, despite everything, was faithful
to the Queen of Heaven, even unto death. Nectarios underscored that
the children of the Church Abroad must be unceasingly grateful to
the Lord for sending such righteous ones as St. John of Shanghai,
Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), Brother Joseph, and others to comfort
them.
The seminar’s participants listened to the words of Reader Nectarios
and the other speakers with rapt attention...
At 3:30 PM, the pilgrims gathered once more at Brother Joseph’s
grave to pray at a farewell panihida. The Hawaiian Icon was brought
to the cemetery. To the great joy and comfort of those gathered,
after the panihida, Reader Nectarios removed the Icon from its kiot
and gave everyone an opportunity to touch the myrrh flowing
abundantly from the wonderworking image of the Mother of God.
No one wished to depart. The martyr’s grave, ablaze with countless
candles, warmed us as the grace-filled warmth of the Sun of
Righteousness, Christ our God. To Him be honor and glory unto the
ages.
Archpriest Victor Potapov October 31, 2012 The Day ofBother Joseph Muñoz-Cortes’
Murder
Photos by Marina Cavanaugh - Media Office of the Eastern American
Diocese
