December 26, 2013
Brooklyn, NY: Patronal Feast Day of St. Joasaph of Belgorod Church
On
Monday, December 23, the feast day of the Finding of the Relics of
the Holy Hierarch Joasaph of Belgorod,
St. Joasaph’s Church in Brooklyn, NY celebrated its patronal
feast day. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Archpriest Serge
Lukianov (secretary of the Eastern American Diocese), co-served by
parish rector Archpriest Boris Oparin, Archpriest Vasiliy Raskovskiy
(cleric of Holy Transfiguration Church in Baltimore, MD), Priest
Konstantin Gavrilkin (cleric of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors Church
in Brooklyn), Protodeacon Igor Panachev (cleric of St. Nicholas
Patriarchal Cathedral), and Deacon Dionysius Lvov (cleric of the
Synodal Cathedral of the Sign).
This is the first patronal feast day to be celebrated in the
recently reconstituted Brooklyn parish. St. Joasaph’s Church was
consecrated in August by Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern
America & New York. It is of note that there was already a parish
dedicated to the Hierarch of Belgorod in Brooklyn, though it was
forced to close after the repose of its parish priest. In 2009,
during a pilgrimage to Belgorod, Archbishop (now Metropolitan) John
of Belgorod presented the First Hierarch of the Russian Church
Abroad with a piece of the relics of St. Joasaph, and at this early
date, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed his desire to have a church in
the Eastern American Diocese named in honor of the Hierarch of
Belgorod.
Despite the weekday service and rainy (though unseasonably warm)
weather, many of the faithful from the several Brooklyn parishes
came to honor the member of St. Joasaph, pray at the Liturgy, and
share the joy of prayerful interaction with the clergy and
parishioners. That day, the Orthodox faithful also had an
opportunity to venerate the first case made to cover and carry the
Iveron Icon of the Mother of God on Montreal, brought especially for
the feast.
Many communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries. Upon completion of the
Liturgy, the clergy and parishioners offered augmented prayers on
bended knee to the Holy Hierarch Joasaph of Belgorod.
Greeting those gathered, Fr. Serge called on parishioners to thank
God for the great joy they had been given – a church consecrated in
honor of the great saint and hierarch Joasaph.
"Anyone who has been at his relics can testify to their unbelievable
incorruption," said Fr. Serge. "His hand looks as though it is still
living, and his body exudes fragrance. We know that the holy
hierarch suffered much in his life. We all face difficulties: many
of our families fall apart here in America; we know that we are
surrounded by anti-Christian people, people who do not fast, who
have no desire for prayer… But we must not be ashamed to be
Christians, ashamed to say that we celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ… We are a little flock, but we have a spark in our hearts,
which we must preserve. This spark is our Holy Orthodoxy." Fr. Serge
summoned all to follow the example that St. Joasaph had set down in
his life: having mutual love, mutual understanding, and honesty. He
sincerely thanked Fr. Boris and Matushka Tatiana for their selfless
service and for uniting the parishioners around the new parish,
calling on the faithful to sacrifice in support of the parish,
tithing and donating for its adornment and growth, as was always the
norm in pious Christian families.
The clergy and parishioners continued their brotherly interaction in
the church hall where, though still observing the Nativity Fast,
Matushka Tatiana and her helpers had prepared a bountiful festal
luncheon. Fr. Boris offered a reminder of the need to thank God and
His holy saints, and to bring the Faith to the people. Kind words of
thanks were offered to parish assistants and choir members, and
"Many Years" was intoned for all who labor in the Lord’s vineyard.
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