August 26, 2013
Wayne, WV: August
Life in Holy Cross Monastery
The
month of August is a spiritually joyful time for the brotherhood and
pilgrims at
Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV. On August 14, the monastic
community began the Dormition Fast with a solemn celebration of the
feast of the Procession of the Cross, followed by the blessing of
the water and honey from the monastery’s apiary.
On Monday, August 19, the Hermitage
brotherhood celebrated the great feast of the Transfiguration of our
Lord with great solemnity and heartfelt spiritual joy. The
Hierarchal Divine Liturgy began with the meeting of and was
celebrated by His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop
George of Mayfield. During the Liturgy, Hierodeacon Hilarion (Heagy)
was ordained into the holy priesthood. A great multitude of fresh
fruits was blessed in the church at the conclusion of the Liturgy,
after which the monastic community and pilgrims processed to the
refectory for a festal meal.
It is a beloved tradition on the feast of
the Transfiguration at the Holy Cross Monastery to hike to the top
of "Mt. Tabor," the highest peak on the monastery’s land, where a
moleben to our Lord Jesus Christ is served and all in attendance
enjoy an informal picnic. On the morning of the feast, it looked as
if the hike would have to be cancelled, as the rain and
thunderstorms moving through the area were forecast for the rest of
the day and for many days to follow. Toward the end of Liturgy,
however, the gray storm clouds completely departed, and the rest of
the day was blessed with sunshine and blue skies. The hike to Mt.
Tabor went on as planned. The exuberant multitude of the faithful
met on the top of the mountain, where a moleben was served by the
newly-ordained Hieromonk Hilarion, and where the food prepared for
the picnic were blessed by ] Bishop George, joined the faithful in
attendance.
During the afterfeast, on Wednesday, August
21– the feast of Sts. Zosimas and Sabbatius – Bishop George blessed
the foundation of a new convent house, which will consist of the
replacement living quarters for Nun Theodora. Her original home and
candle workshop was destroyed by a fire on the morning of Pentecost
Sunday this past June. Plans for new workshop reconstruction will be
coming soon in September.
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