Some of the twelve great feasts of the Church come in pairs.  Nativity followed by Theophany; so also is the case with the feasts of the Nativity of the Theotokos and the Exaltaton of the Cross.

In a recent posting, the monastery’s “All-People’s” celebration of the memory of the Venerable Job, Abbot and Wonderworker of Pochaev every year on Labor Day weekend was described.  The actual feast day, August 28 (Sept. 10, new calendar) is also celebrated, as the patronal feast of our lower church.   The All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy was celebrated by our abbot-bishop, His Grace Luke together with the monastery clergy also my with the local faithful as well as many pilgrims who are always in attendance on monastery feast days. The  new school year has started, so our seminarians, both old and new were participating. 

It has been the tradition of the Holy Monastery to take advantage of the long Labor Day weekend for the spiritual benefit of the faithful, by holding an All-People’s celebration of the memory of St. Job of Pochaev together with the Pochaev Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

he traditions of the monastery in large part hark back to the Pochaev Monastery in Volynia, Ukraine, a great center of Orthodoxy and missionary work in defense of our holy faith from the times of its first abbot, the Venerable St. Job.  Known for his printing efforts in defense of the faith against the inroads of Uniatism in the southwestern part of Holy Rus,” the monastery founded by Archimandrite Vitaly Maximenko, later Archbishop in North America and abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and first Rector of the Holy Trinity Seminary, in Slovakia, was consecrated to his memory.  Under his protection, the monastery continued the printing efforts of the famous printing presses of Pochaev both for the Church Abroad as well as smuggling literature into the Soviet Union, during the seventy-year communist persecution of the Church.

An exact copy of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev was gifted by the brotherhood in Pochaev to the monastery in Slovakia, and from there was taken into exile with the brotherhood during World War II, eventually finding its way to the New World.  At first the icon was kept in a cathedral in the Bronx, later being brought to stay in Holy Trinity Monastery.  From those times, it became the tradition to hold a Meeting of the Icon on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, a time when hundreds of pilgrims, taking advantage of the civil holiday, made their way to the monastery.  Many of these pilgrims came from what is now known as Ukraine and were familiar with St. Job, the Pochaev monastery and its miraculous icon of the Theotokos. 

We continue these traditions until this day, having a meeting of the Icon at 3PM, followed by a moleben to the Mother of God and St. Job with an Akathist to St. Job, before the Vigil service Saturday evening. 

Once again, our shores have filled with many immigrants from the Ukrainian land.  And thus, the desire to especially pray to St. Job and the Pochaev Icon continue to be relevant to us, especially in light of what is going on in Ukraine in our days.

On the Sunday itself, besides an early liturgy in the basement church of St. Job, His Grace, Bishop Luke, abbot of the monastery, together with monastery clergy and guests, served a hierarchal liturgy at 9AM in the cathedral, followed by a moleben with a procession around the cathedral with the icons of St. Job and our copy of the Pochaev Icon, which is held by many of the faithful to be miraculous, having received cures of spiritual and medical problems from it.

At the end of the service, the traditional monastery trapeza was open to all of the pilgrims.  Again, on Labor Day itself, Vladyka served a hierarchal liturgy.  After the noon-day meal, His Grace, along with the monastery clergy, served a general pannikhida for members of the brotherhood, whose anniversaries of death were in recent days, including the every-memorable Metropolitan Laurus.  And thus concluded our celebration.

The Feast of the Dormition falls closely with the monastery’s “People’s” feast of the Pochaev Icon and  St. Job, Abbot and Wonderworker of Pochaev, celebrated for convenience’s sake on Labor Day weekend, as this usually falls within the afterfeast.

  The burial service was observed in many cathedrals and monasteries in Russia.  Here in our monastery this service was done many years ago.  With the generous gift of a beautiful shroud of the Mother of God, from Vladyka Nicholas, who became our First Hierarch, Vladyka Luke decided to renew this observance for the spiritual benefit of our community.

On Sunday, August 12/25, 2024, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada presided over the Rite of Consecration of Antimins, concelebrating with Bishop Luke of Syracuse. The Antimins (also known as “antimension”) is a rectangular cloth depicting the burial of our Lord Jesus Christ, on top of which the Holy Mysteries are consecrated. The Antimins contain relics of martyrs, in remembrance of the persecuted Church of ancient times, where Liturgy was often celebrated using a tomb of a martyr as an Altar table.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 August 24, 2024

Ever since the beginning of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia, we have prayed in our services for peace between these two countries, whose origins hail back to ancient Kievan Rus’
            The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is recognized by most of the brother Orthodox Churches as the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine.  Sadly, Patriarch Bartholomew has created a separate church in Ukraine, which has caused a grievous schism.  Nevertheless, the majority of the Orthodox remain faithful to their mother Church, despite ongoing persecution. People of ill-will interrupt services, attack elderly women, and have brutally taken over churches and in some instances, injured clergy and faithful laity.

In the midst of the Dormition fast, we have the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor.  All the altar coverings are changed from Lenten red to bright white, symbolizing the bright light given off by our Lord on Mount Tabor as seen by the holy apostles, Peter, James and John and the unseen light as experience as much as possible by them.

In the month of August there are three feasts of the Lord, besides the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.  In Russian popular parlance, the first feast, the “First Saviour” is the feast of the Procession of the Life-Giving Cross.  This is also the feast of the Maccabean Martyrs.  On this day, in the Russian Church, it is traditional to bless holy water, as according to tradition this is about the time of the Baptism of ancient Rus’.  On this day it is also traditional to give out blessed honey.

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic games in Paris was a vivid and most emphatic manifestation of what spirit has descended among men. Many people from across the world were left shocked, scandalised, and in disbelief watching what was unravelling before their eyes. This global event that gathers all nations from across the globe, this 'opening' - expressed in an unequivocal way the inauguration or affirmation of a 'new world order' which is antithetical to God's order, an open declaration of who it serves, i.e, who its 'master' is, and who it battles against. This 'ceremony' was nothing less than a satanic assembly, very dark and very telling of the spiritual state the world is cataclysmically spiralling into. This worldly 'state of affairs' is nothing new for Orthodox Christians.

On the Feast of the Equal to the Apostles Grand Princess Olga,  Bishop Luke served the Vigil and Liturgy at the convent of Quick to Hear. St. Olga is the second patron of the Convent and of their craft shop.

The fast of the Apostles culminated with the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul on July 12th (N.S.)  With the attendance of many pilgrims in addition to the “summer youth,” 25 of whom are presently here, and of course the brotherhood, His Grace Bishop Luke celebrated the divine services. 

Praise be to God that the brethren of Holy Trinity Monastery were able to once again celebrate the patronal feast of the monastery in the traditional way, with three days of solemn services.

  Forty days after Pascha, the feast of feasts, the Church celebrates one of the twelve main feasts of the Church, the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven.  This is a great feast in that we celebrate that the Lord Jesus Christ took our human nature which he divinized and took it to Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. 

Dear brothers in Christ and fellow intercessors before the Throne of God!

Christ is Risen!

            Our Universal Church is now passing through difficult times.  The canons have been flagrantly violated, a deliberate and brazen legalization of the schism has taken place, and the scale of the destruction of pan-Orthodox unity is increasing. 

Article of the event  and photos will be posted soon on the Seminary's website https://hts.edu/

On June 2, the Fifth Sunday after Pascha, that of the Samaritan Woman, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Luke of Syracuse, performed an archpastoral visit to St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon Church in Pompano Beach, FL. With the blessing of parish rector, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, the celebration of the parish’s patronal feast of the Holy Hierarch Luke of Simferopol (June 11) was transferred to that day.

  On May 17, the monastery observed the 2nd anniversary of the repose of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Hilarion, whose body is buried in the brotherhood cemetery of the monastery.  For the brethren it is a great consolation to have with us one who was a graduate of our Seminary and then one of our hieromonks and spiritual father to many of us.

            It was God’s will that Vladyka Hilarion, who was himself a cell attendant of the ever-memorable Archbishop Averky, would become a bishop of our church and eventually its First Hierarch, succeeding another member of our brotherhood, Metropolitan Laurus.

            On this day, our present First Hierarch, another graduate of our Seminary, Metropolitan Nicholas, provided for a commemorative meal at the monastery trapeza.  This was followed by a pannikhida at the grave of Vladyka Hilarion, served by our present abbot, Bishop Luke, also a graduate of our Seminary.  May the memory of Vladyka Hilarion be eternal, and may he rest among the saints.

All of Bright Week, it is like one day of Pascha.  The Church celebrates the great joy of the Lord’s Resurrection, His victory over death.  For this reason, it is considered out of place to hold memorials for the dead since all of our attention is directed to the conquering of death.

As it is everywhere in the Orthodox world, Pascha is the feast of feasts.  Perhaps due to the Great Lenten atmosphere in the monastery, where all revolves around the Lenten services, the strict fasting, and this year the unprecedented great flow of pilgrims every weekend during Lent, the buildup of anticipation of Paschal joy is significant.  This is especially felt during Holy Week.

Holy Week is very special in our monastery, as are all of the festal services.  They are served in their completeness and with great solemnity.  Perhaps this is also due to the atmosphere kept in the monastery, where the fast is strictly kept, and there is not the distraction of the “World.”

  Palm Sunday is a most glorious holy day on the eve of Holy Week.  According to tradition, the children of Israel with great joy greeted He Whom they hoped would free them from the Romans.  They had a worldly understanding of His coming to the Holy City, after raising Lazarus from the dead.  Within a short time, these same people would shout “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”

Fr. Protodeacon Joseph Jarostchuk was one of those rare people who combined within himself a very skillful way of serving at the divine services with a very humble and amicable character.  He served very carefully and also prayerfully.  And he loved to serve at all opportunities.  The older brethren of the monastery remember how for over 50 years he would spend all of his free time serving in the monastery for the special days of commemorating the dead, and who can forget his awesome voice, serving at the festal services of Pascha, Holy Nativity, Pentecost as well as the very special Holy Week services?

The annual Great Lenten northern American diocesan clergy retreat was held at Holy Trinity Monastery.  Over 70 priests and deacons traveled to the Monastery to participate in the gathering on April 10 and 11.  Seminarians were also invited to take part.   Russian Church Abroad church traditions and other pastoral important issues were discussed on Tuesday. Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, all attended the Great Lenten services in the monastery cathedral, culminating in the hierarchal celebration of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.  

This year, the feast of the Annunciation coincided with the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross.  The feast, of course, happens at a fixed date, and so, from year to year, depending on what day it falls, it is always interesting to see the commination.  The hymns of this feast, celebrating the incarnation of the Son of God, go along very well with those of adoration of the Son of God’s Life-giving Cross.  The adoration of the Cross gives us the strength to continue our Lenten podvig and helps us concentrate on where we are going with our Great Lenten feat of prayers and fasting.  The feast day of the Holy Theotokos, bursts forth with joy during this somber time of year.

This past weekend in the monastery had many grace-filled blessings.  His Eminence, Archbishop Gabriel brought us the reliquary from Synod, containing the right hand of the New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth and a relic of her co-struggler the New Martyr Barbara.  Vladyka was traveling to his diocese in Canada an desired to bless us with the opportunity to venerate these holy relics.

Once again, the Lord has blessed us at Holy Trinity Monastery to be able to “retreat” for a week in prayer and strict fasting to attempt to renew ourselves spiritually.  On Forgiveness Sunday, Great Vespers was celebrated at 3PM, celebrated by His Grace Bishop Luke, together with the clergy assigned to the monastery.  After the Great Prokeimenon, the service reverted to a simple Great Lenten service as the covers on the analogions were changed to black from gold.  In the evening, after trapeza, Small Compline was served, ending with a sermon by our Abbot.            Upon finishing his sermon, Vladyka asked forgiveness of us, and thereupon, all those present, monastics, clergy, seminarians and neighbors asked forgiveness one of another as we venerated the icons. 

"The Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sitka and Alaska held its annual clergy retreat in Anchorage from Friday March 8th through Sunday, March 10th hosted by His Grace ALEXEI, Bishop of Sitka and Alaska. As a special guest, His Grace LUKE, Bishop of Syracuse and Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, led our retreat meditations, speaking on the theme “Confessing Holy Orthodoxy.”  The retreat commenced with a solemn and joyful All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy served at Saint Tikhon’s Russian Orthodox Church in South Anchorage.  The resplendent service included a universal memorial for all the Orthodox Faithful departed.  Vladyka Alexei offered fervent prayers and blessed koliva for the departed in anticipation of the Sunday of the Last Judgment.

The ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus, First Hieraarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia from 2001 to 2008, also abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and rector of the seminary from 1976 to 2008, reposed on March 16, 2008.  It was under his leadership that the two parts of the Russian Church reconciled and joined in canonical union.

Depending upon the date of the beginning of Great Lent, this feast has a longer or shorter afterfeast.  Since this year Pascha is late, the afterfeast lasts a full week.

On February 12 (New Calendar) the Church celebrates the memory of Saints Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian.  This feast was established to end the controversy over who among these holy fathers was the greatest.  In other words, the Church wants to emphasize that they are all equal in honor and piety and importance for the Church.

In the evening was held the All-Night Vigil, consisting of Great Compline, Litya and Matins.  The polyleos was served by Vladyka. 

            The Royal Hours for the feast were served at 8 AM Thursday morning.  After a brief rest, there was the Meeting of the Bishop at 9:45, vesting, and then promptly the Vespers Liturgy of St. Basil was started.  During the Old Testament readings, the clergy chanted the praises antiphonally with the choir.  At the conclusion of the Liturgy, there was the Great Blessing of Water.  The clergy, followed by the faithful, processed to the bell tower for this ceremony.  Vladyka poured some water from the Jordan River into the fount.  As Vladyka lowered the Cross into the water of the baptistry fount, all the bells of the bell tower pealed.  Then all returned to the church as the bishop blessed with holy water the church, including the altar.  The liturgy concluded with the Many Years.

The feast of the Holy Nativity is celebrated with great solemnity in our monastery. 

During the fore feast, all of the monastery and seminary buildings are thoroughly cleaned.  Every evening, at Compline, a special canon is read to prepare us for the upcoming feast.