Holy Trinity Monastery

Pannikhida for Metropolitan Laurus - May 16 12:30PM

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Encyclical
To all clergy of the Eastern American Diocese

As we approach the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, our hearts are filled with joy and thanksgiving to the Lord for granting unity to our Church.

Since the joint pastoral conference of Diocesan and Patriarchal clergy has been postponed to October 11-13, solemn services in honor of the fifth anniversary will be held on May 16^th and 17^th at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY and St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City.

On Wednesday, May 16^th, on the eve of the anniversary, a panihida will be held at the tomb of Metropolitan Laurus in Holy Trinity Monastery at 12:30 PM. This will be a special time for us to remember our beloved Vladyka, and also His Holiness Patriarch Alexey II, and to thank them for their efforts in reuniting our long-suffering Church. The panihida will be led by the Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Eminence Justinian, Archbishop of Naro-Fominsk, co-served by His Grace George, Bishop of Mayfield, His Grace Jerome, Bishop of Manhattan, and clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR.

The following morning, May 17^th, the Divine Liturgy will be served in St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral by the above-mentioned clergy. The greeting of the bishop will begin at 10:00 AM; clergy are asked to arrive by 9:30 AM and to bring their own white vestments. After the Liturgy, a festal banquet will be held in the cathedral hall.

All diocesan clergy and their faithful are invited and encouraged to attend these services. Those who cannot make it to New York City are asked to serve either a Divine Liturgy or Thanksgiving moleben on May 17^th. God willing, I will be in Moscow at that time, celebrating the fifth anniversary with His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill.

Please accept my most sincere congratulations on this joyous fifth anniversary. May the Lord continue to bestow His rich and abundant mercies on our Holy Church and Her faithful.

With love in Christ,

+HILARION
Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Holy Trinity Monastery Open House - May 19 2-5PM

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, invites all those interested to experience its Open House on Saturday, May 19, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Guests will be able to learn about the history of Russian Orthodox icons on a tour of the monastery church and grounds, as well as view two slideshows: one about the Orthodox Church and one on the history of the monastery.

Click here for posting

Open House at Holy Trinity Monastery - April 19 2:00 - 5:00 PM

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Pascha 2012 - Video Report

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Pascha 2012 - Photo Report

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Holy Saturday Liturgy 2012 - Photo Report

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Holy Friday Vespers 2012

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Sermon by Archimandrite Luke on Holy Friday Vespers

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

It is finished — exclaimed Our Saviour, and thus He accomplished His salvific sufferings.

Suffering came into the world because of the first sin, and sin became the wall of separation between God and man depriving us of a blessed state and the Kingdom of Heaven. Man by his own devices could never heal his fallen soul, and thus we confess and believe that the Son of God was incarnate in order to redeem us and deliver us from our sinful and pitiful state. He became one of us to correct that which we spoiled, and in order to renew that which was darkened.

Suffering is always with us, and man is constantly preoccupied with the question of suffering —mainly how to avoid it. We modern people on a daily basis invent new means in order to avoid reality, and the reality of our life is frequently filled with various sorrows. One can only be amazed at the multitude of various ever-increasing distractions and new medications appearing to assuage psychological burdens.

We tremble when we recall the terrible spiritual struggle of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He, by means of His divine vision, foresaw those sufferings incomprehensible for us which He voluntary and with love was to take upon Himself so that we might return to paradise.He overcame all difficulties, and even on the Cross He refused to alleviate His pain. And in all of this we can conclude that suffering is an inescapable fact of life. But what is its significance? And what can we as Orthodox Christians do? What should be our attitude to such an unavoidable phenomenon?

The answer lies before us in the tomb. Our Lord accepted the inescapability of suffering as the central redemptive struggle of His life, and we must accept suffering as an inescapable fact and surrender to it. Even this humble submission to an extent relieves our sorrowful state of soul.
Our Lord also showed that it is extremely important to have a God-pleasing disposition of heart towards suffering. In spite of the fact, that He is surrounded by hatred, ill-will, intrigues, treachery, ingratitude, and lack of understanding, none the less His love remains unshakeable. He preserves and defends His love with the words: “God forgive them”. And thus He crowns His redeeming struggle of love.

Genuine spirituality like true friendship demands great attention, nurturing and support. Without this our soul, like a rare flower wilts and dies. Only a firm spiritual state, without complaining, without bitterness and hard-heartedness can assist us in overcoming all sorrows and suffering sent to us for our cleansing and correction. A living witness and example of a God-pleasing attitude towards suffering is the Mother of God, who is present in Her icon, Softening of Evil Hearts or Seven swords. Without complaint, She stood by the Cross and grave of Her Son, despite Her horrendous anguish. She took no offense at the torturers and did not become hard-hearted, quite the opposite. Her heart expanded, became softer and spiritually She achieved even greater perfection.

Dear brothers and sisters, I have spoken here only briefly about the inescapability of sufferings, but we must further continually and deeply nurture within ourselves a God-pleasing and good-hearted attitude towards sorrows, which the all-wise Lord sends for our correction. It is a terrible thing to live with a darkened, gloomy, heart. Our Lord summons us to soften and cleanse our evil hearts. And only with a purified and soft heart can we like the Mother of God, inherit eternal blessedness. Amen.

Holy Thursday Twelve Passion Gospels 2012 - Photo and Video Report

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Holy Unction Service 2012 - Photo Report

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Palm Sunday 2012 - Photo Report

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Lazarus Saturday - Annunciation 2012 - Photo Report

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Meeting of the Icon "Softener of Evil Hearts" at Holy Trinity Monastery

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Tonsures to the Lesser Schema at Holy Trinity Monastery

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

On Friday March 30 2012 after the Matins service Riassaphore monks Laurence and Dionysios were tonsured to the Lesser Schema by Archimandrite Luke. At the end of Matins they entered the Altar were they received the blessing of the Abbot and then proceeded to venerate the holy icons. During the First Hour they put on white gowns as one does when they are to be baptized and when the service finished they were led by the hieromonks of the monastery to the middle of the Church were they prostrated themselves to the ground three times during which the choir sung the sessional hymn after the Third Ode of the Canon from the Prodigal Son "Thy fatherly embrace hasten to open to me, for like the prodigal have I spent my life. Disdain not a heart now impoverished O Savior, Who hast before Thine eyes the inexpressible riches of Thy mercies. For to Thee, O Lord, in compunction I cry: Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before Thee".

When they reached the front of the ambon the Abbot signaled them to get up and read the prayers of the tonsure and exchanged in a dialog questions and answers as to the purpose of coming to the monastic life. Below are some of the exchanges that took place:

Question: Why hast thou come hither, Brother, falling down before the Holy Altar and before this Holy Assembly?
Answer: I am desirous of the life of asceticism, Reverend Father.
Question: Of thine own willing mind comest thou unto the Lord?
Answer: Yes, God helping me, Reverend Father.
Question: Not by any necessity, or constraint?
Answer: No, Reverend Father.
Question: Dost thou renounce the world, and the things belonging to the world, according to the commandment of the Lord?
Answer: Yes, Reverend Father.
Question: Wilt thou endure all the strain tribulation belonging to the monastic life, for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake?
Answer: Yes, God helping me, Reverend Father.

Fr. Laurence was tonsured with the name of St John of St. Fransisco and and Fr. Dionysios received the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov. May our Lord help the newly tonsured monks to live steadfastly their monastic vocation by a "pure and virtuous life" so that their life becomes a light to the world.

Archimandrite Luke counseled the newly tonsured monks to become imitators of the lives of the saints whose names they received and to struggle in humility enduring all afflictions for the salvation of their souls. At the end of this very moving service everyone went up to the newly tonsured monastics and greeted them with the traditional greeting, "What is your name father?" to which they replied "sinful monk John and Seraphim" and all wished them many years and God's blessing in their struggles.

A video will be posted of the tonsure in the next few day

A Panikhida is Served for Colonel Phillip Ludwell III

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Tuesday, March 14/27, 2012 marked the two hundred and forty fifth anniversary of the repose of Colonel Philip Ludwell III, a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, and the first known convert to Orthodoxy in the Americas. With the blessing of Archimandrite Luke, Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, a memorial (panikhida) was served in English by Archpriest Gregory Naumenko (rector of the Protection of the Mother of God Church in Rochester, New York), who teaches pastoral theology and homiletics at Holy Trinity Seminary. Responses were sung by a choir of seminarians under the direction of Reader Ephraim Willmarth,the administrative assistant to the dean of the seminary. Members of the monastic community and local Orthodox believers also joined in the prayers. Archpriest Gregory also remembered the other known Orthodox members of Colonel Ludwell’s family: his daughters Hannah, Frances and Lucy, and the latter’s husband John Paradise. A short reflection on the significance of Colonel Ludwell’s life for the Orthodox Church in Russia and the Americas, and his role in early American history, was offered by Nicholas Chapman before the commencement of the memorial.

The metrical books of the Russian Orthodox Church in London, England record that Ludwell died at his home in London at 5p.m. on March 14 O.S., 1767, having previously been confessed and received holy communion and holy unction. His funeral was served several days later in the London church. Almost 30 years earlier he had traveled from Virginia to be received at the Russian Orthodox Church in London, in 1738, several days after his twenty-second birthday.

He was blessed by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church to return to Virginia with the Holy Gifts and evidence points to the existence of a lay Orthodox community headed by him in mid-eighteenth century Williamsburg. He brought his three daughters up in the faith, and they were formally received into the Church in London in 1762. Some of their descendants also appear to have remained in the Church for several generations following Ludwell’s repose.

Apart from a few months spent in London in 1738/39 and the last seven years of his life, the rest of his days were passed in his native Virginia. Whilst there he translated into English The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom as it is performed without a deacon and The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great as it is performed without a deacon. He also translated The Orthodox Confession of the Catholic and Apostolic Eastern Church, which was published in London in 1762, and penned what appears to be a short work of his own, entitled How to behave before, at, and after the Divine Service in the Church.

In all of these labors, he demonstrated an evident love for God and the Orthodox faith. He was also known for his cheerful and vivacious disposition, given to hospitality and to contributing to the needs of the poor. (He was the first external donor to what were to become America’s first university and first hospital in Philadelphia. )

He played a vital role in strengthening the defense of the Commonwealth of Virginia through tireless intercession with the British military authorities in his capacity as a member of the Royal Governing Council and was instrumental in obtaining the appointment of the young George Washington as a Colonel in the colonial militia. His family connections with some of the major figures of early US history are extensive: his wife was the cousin of Martha Washington and amongst his nephews there are two signers of the Declaration of Independence and the twelfth President of the Continental Congress. President’s William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison were blood relatives of Ludwell and he is the great uncle of the famous American civil war General Robert E Lee. The future President Thomas Jefferson was amongst the executors of his estate and Benjamin Franklin house was a few doors down the street from Ludwell’s London home at the time of his death.

The Psalm reader at the London church at the time of Ludwell’s repose was the future Fr. Andrew Samborskii. He was to marry an English orphan girl, Elizabeth Fielding and used the catechism Ludwell translated to instruct his future wife in the Faith. After serving the church in London as Psalm reader and priest, Samborskii returned to Russia and became tutor in religion to the Grand Duke’s Alexander and Constantine, sons of Tsar Paul I. John Paradise, son in law of Philip Ludwell, also worked for the Russian imperial family as an agent for Catherine the Great in preventing a war between England and Russia.

Further information about Ludwell and his family may be found here http://orthodoxhistory.org/page/2/?s=ludwell

May Colonel Philip Ludwell’s memory be eternal!

Sunday of the Veneration of the Precious Cross - Photo Report 2012

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Pannikhida for Metropolitan Laurus on the Fourth Anniversary of his Repose - Photo Report

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

First Week of Great Lent 2012 - Photo and video report

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Cathedral Roof Repair in progress - Nov 2011

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Dear Friends of Holy Trinity Monastery

Work has begun in repairing the roof of the main cathedral of the Monastery. Thank you for your support to help us begin this work which is vital in preserving the frescoes in the Church and being damaged by leaks and moisture.