Icon of our Lady of Sitka to be Present at 97th Annual Pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon’s Monastery

The wonderworking icon of Our Lady of Sitka will be present throughout the 97th annual Pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon’s Monastery here May 25-28, 2001.

According to His Eminence, Archbishop Herman of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, “This is the icon of the Theotokos thathas performed miracles in Alaska, where Orthodox Christianity was first planted in North America more than 200 years ago! How meaningful for us!”

The icon will be met at the entrance to the monastery at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25. It is anticipated that a large number of faithful, including altar servers, Church school students, and members of various parish organizations, will be present to welcome the icon and to lead it in procession to the main monastery church.

Throughout the weekend, the entire complement of liturgical services will be held. The icon will be present at every service and available for veneration during the four-day celebration.

Numerous hierarchs, clergy and faithful from across North America will be present for the pilgrimage. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, who is on a four-month medical leave, will not participate.

A complete schedule of services, together with a brief history of the icon of Our Lady of Sitka, may be found elsewhere on the OCA web site at http://www.oca.org.