March 21, 2016
Buena, NJ: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Reading of Great Canon in Holy Protection Skete

During the first week of Great Lent, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York visited Holy Protection Skete in Buena, NJ. On Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th of March, His Eminence led the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, co-served by skete rector Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov). The newly opened skete’s choir sang the divine service, while parishioners offered up their prayers.

This was the first hierarchal service in the skete in the past 25 years, since Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov) served there.

The First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad took part in the "Clean Monday" drive, which is being held throughout the first week of Great Lent and is directed at bringing order to the skete’s property and preparing it for the feast of Pascha.

On Saturday, March 19, when the Holy Church celebrated the memory of the Holy Great-Martyr Theodore Tyro, Metropolitan Hilarion prayed at the Divine Liturgy in the monastic habitation and offered archpastoral spiritual nourishment to the faithful now coming to pray at the skete.

During Great Lent, the divine services at Holy Protection Skete will follow a regular schedule: hours on Saturdays at 9:30 AM, start of Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM. The brethren and faithful have already begun preparing for Christ’s Glorious Resurrection: clean-up work is being done around the clock. The brethren welcome any pilgrims who wish to spend the days of Great Lent in a spiritually and physically beneficial manner; this is a good opportunity to labor for the glory of God, to pray at the divine services, and to rest in the skete’s house for pilgrims.

Those interested are reminded that the skete is home to a Russian Orthodox cemetery. The brethren care for the grounds and tombstones, and those who wish can purchase land for family burial.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese