Labor Day weekend in the United States, besides being a time to commemorate all those who work hard in the industry of our country, is traditionally considered the last weekend of the summer season, a time when often people have their last vacation time and have barbeques and other festivities.

Many years ago, the monastery, in view of this civil holiday, decided to offer the faithful a pious alternative to this in holding a general pilgrimage to the monastery in honor of St. Job of Pochaev, the first abbot of the famous Pochaev Monastery in Ukraine and also the icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev, a miraculous copy of which is found in the lower church of the monastery’s cathedral.

The feast of the Uncovering of the Relics of St. Job is September 10 (New Style), which is celebrated by the monastery as its main feast of St. Job, who is especially venerated by our bretheren since many of our traditions as well as well as many of our original fathers were connected with the monastery of Pochaev and St. Job.  Also, many of our pilgirms have their place of origin in Ukraine and are spiritually close to this ancient monastery.

Thus, for many years the monastery has held special services and processions on Labor Day weekend, taking advantage of the fact that it is a long weekend which  makes it more convenient for the faithful to arrive here from the neighboring cities.

On Saturday afternoon, at 3PM, there is a procession to the chapel of the Dormition in the cemetery to greet the Pochaev icon of the Mother of God, which on the feast of the Dormition is left on the altar of the chapel.  It is then taken to the cathedral in a procession with the monastery choir chanting hymns of the feast of the Dormition.  Bishop Luke was awaiting the icon at the entrance to the cathedral and blessed the multitude of people with the icon.  It might be pointed out that, as has been the case the last few years, a large group of pilgrims had arrived for the feast from the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia parish in Brooklyn, New York, led by Mitered Archpriest Sergei Lukianov.

Upon arriving back to the cathedral with the peeling of the monastery bells, a moleben with akathist is served to St. Job, who is the patron saint of our publications and of our basement church.  Upon the conclusion of the moleben, the Rule for Communion followed.