July 16, 2013
Why does America need Holy Russia?

On July 26-28, the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia will be celebrated at St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ. The anniversary has dual significance to the faithful of the Eastern American Diocese, because 2013 also marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the memorial church. But as the celebration draws closer, the real question still remains – why? Why is St. Vladimir’s Church so important to the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia today? And why should people brave the summer heat and drive long distances to gather there?

In order to answer these questions, we need to look at the history of St. Vladimir’s Church through the eyes of the three hierarchs who dedicated much of their lives to build and promote this grand memorial – the church’s founder, Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), and his two disciples – Archbishop Nikon (Rklitsky) and Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla).

During the laying of the cornerstone of St. Vladimir’s Church in 1938, Archbishop Vitaly addressed a gathering of mostly immigrants – people who had been torn from their homeland and scattered thousands of miles across the globe. He said, " We have gathered here in free America as American citizens to lay in our adopted country the cornerstone of a memorial church in commemoration of our thousand-year old Russian culture, so that we and our descendants may always remember the basis on which we stand and the root from which we have sprung…"

Since the foundation of Russia was built upon the Orthodox Faith, and the purpose of the new memorial church was to remind people of that, it was fairly obvious to whom the church should be dedicated – to St. Vladimir, the baptizer of Rus’. "This church should remind all of us Russian people of the great work performed by St. Vladimir by his illumination of Rus’ with the light of the Faith of Christ," said Metropolitan Laurus in his sermon on St. Vladimir’s Day in 2005.

But living in America, some might be tempted to ask – is there a real connection between St. Vladimir, Holy Russia, and the USA?

Although Archbishop Vitaly was a Russian by birth, his actions showed that he understood that it was the will of God that brought him and thousands of other immigrants to America. Knowing that America was a melting pot of different cultures, he inspired the Russians to leave their mark on this country through the Holy Orthodox Faith – the faith of their fathers, which was given to them by St. Vladimir. "The Irish, French, Italians, Spaniards, Jews, and others all brought the faith of their fathers and the culture of previous generations. They build their houses of worship, their monuments, in order to preserve this, their spiritual treasure. And not only did this do no harm, but rather it enriched American life and culture, and caused them to blossom. Let us, following the example our neighbors of other ethnicities, cling firmly to the Orthodox Faith of our fathers. Let us remember the land of our origin. And, for generations to come, let us cherish and develop our Russian culture, so that it may contribute its due share to the spiritual treasure house of America," explained Archbishop Vitaly.

As the faithful prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of St. Vladimir Memorial Church, there has been much chatter on social networks regarding the Church Abroad and Holy Russia’s role in the future of Orthodox America. The most common questions have been "What is Holy Russia?" and "What is so special about Holy Russia that Americans cannot live without?" In his sermon on St. Vladimir’s Day in 1957, Archbishop Nikon answered today’s bloggers by saying; "‘Holy Russia’ is not just some legal entity or government, no! – it is a worldwide, all-encompassing idea. Holy Russia is the incarnation of the Holy Gospel in the national life of Russia, and the sowing of the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth. Clearly understanding this wondrous idea of Russian life, loving it, and living it in every sphere of our lives – that is the duty of every Russian person, that is where our sincere joy is, that is where we are reconciled to our life and to our lot; it is this for which we sincerely pray on this portentous day, and every day in this church..."

Today, the Russian Church Abroad, and particularly the Eastern American Diocese, is almost half comprised of converts and non-Russians. The divine services are sung in over five languages and, like America herself, the Church Abroad has become a melting pot of different cultures and people. "Many of our clergy and faithful come from various non-Russian backgrounds, and have whole-heartedly embraced the sacred customs and traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church," said Metropolitan Hilarion in his appeal to the faithful. One could argue that this is diluting the "Russianness" of our Church and is further proof that Holy Russia is no longer needed. But in reality we have started to live the dream and vision of Archbishop Vitaly because all of these cultures and people are connected by their love of Holy Russia and everything that it stands for. For this reason, Metropolitan Hilarion warned the faithful to "not fall into the temptation of segregating our Diocese into cultural groups, because as sons and daughters of the Russian Orthodox Church, we are all citizens of Holy Russia."

Currently the Orthodox jurisdictions in America are trying to shape a vision for a united American Orthodox Church, but because the country is still relatively young, there are few long standing Orthodox traditions on which to base this vision. For this reason, America is in need of the millennial spiritual tradition that the Russian Orthodox Church has to offer and St. Vladimir’s Memorial Church is a symbol of that great legacy. Metropolitan Hilarion addressed this very issue when he wrote; "Today, America has need not just of Russia, but of ‘Holy Russia,’ for it is only this Russia that represents true spiritual wealth; we have no need of a ‘renovationist,’ modernized ‘Orthodoxy,’ but of the true, Apostolic Orthodoxy, the Faith of the Fathers: the Orthodoxy lived by the Holy Church for almost two thousand years, and which that great cloud of witnesses, ‘All the Saints who Shone Forth in the Russian Land,’ connects to the ancient Christian martyrs, monastics, hierarchs, and other God-pleasers."

Understanding and preserving the spiritual legacy of Holy Russia, and using that experience as a basis for missionary work in America is what St. Vladimir Memorial Church symbolizes. Every year when the faithful return to Jackson, our Church has an opportunity to reinforce this idea and pass it on to future generations as it was passed down to us by Archbishop Vitaly, Archbishop Nikon, and Metropolitan Laurus. For this reason, Metropolitan Hilarion gave his blessing to install a monument in honor of these three hierarchs on the exterior of the Memorial Church. The monument will be located near the entrance of the lower church in honor of St. Olga, where Archbishops Vitaly and Nikon are interred. The solemn blessing of the monument will take place after the procession on St. Vladimir’s Day – July 28th.

All Orthodox faithful from across America are invited and encouraged to participate in the St. Vladimir’s Day celebration. In the words of Archbishop Nikon, "The time has come, when it is of the utmost importance for every son of the Holy Orthodox Church and Russia to renew within himself the eternal precepts of Holy Russia."

Click here for more information on St. Vladimir’s Day.

Donations for the monument to Archbishops Vitaly and Nikon and Metropolitan Laurus can be made here:

 

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