St. Tikhon Monastery to host pilgrimage Memorial Day weekend

St. Tikhon Monastery South Canaan, PA

SOUTH CANAAN, PA [OCA Communications] — The 102nd annual pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon Monastery here will formally open on Friday, May 26, 2006 with the celebration of vespers and Matins, followed by a procession with the relics of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk and the singing of the Akathistos Hymn in his honor, at 4:00 p.m.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, will preside at the four-day celebration. Joining Metropolitan Herman will be His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; other members of the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church in America; and numerous clergy and faithful from throughout North America.

On Saturday, May 27, the hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. At 2:00 p.m., the 64th annual commencement of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary will be held, after which the Vigil will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m.

The hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday, May 28, at 9:30 a.m. Vespers and Matins will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m., after which a grand banquet will be held at Gus Genetti’s Convention Center, Wilkes-Bare, PA, at 5:00 p.m.

On Monday, May 29, the early Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in the monastery church at 7:30 a.m. The traditional pilgrim’s procession to the monastery and the greeting and vesting of Metropolitan Herman and the concelebrating hierarchs will begin at 9:15 a.m., followed by the hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the pavilion. A General Memorial will be celebrated for all faithful departed at the grave site of His Eminence, the late Metropolitan Leonty, after the Liturgy.

At 2:00 p.m. Monday, the Service of Intercession to the Most Holy Mother of God and anointing of the sick, infirm, and all pilgrims will be celebrated at the monastery bell tower.

The pilgrimage will close with the celebration of Vespers and Matins in the monastery church at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

Throughout the pilgrimage, the faithful are invited to visit the seminary and monastery bookstore, the Metropolitan Theodosius Museum, and the various food booths. Graves will also be blessed in the monastery cemetery.

Founded in 1905, Saint Tikhon Monastery is the oldest monastery in North America.