SERBIAN YOUTH PILGRIMAGE TO JORDANVILLE MONASTERY FROM CANADA
In a morally diminishing secular world, such as urban Canada, it is very difficult to reach youth to engage in spiritual growth within the Church. Having that in mind, His Grace Bishop Mitrofan, at the most recent Diocesan assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada, held in Vancouver, urged for priests to focus their efforts especially on our young Serbian ladies and men, who face more and more complex challenges and temptations.
In light of this appeal, young parishioners, from 18 to 29 years of age, of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Mitrofan, travelled to Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery, in Jordanville, New York, for a Lenten youth pilgrimage. All of the participants partook in daily church services, all meals in the monastic community, interacted with clergy, monastics, seminarians, and residents of Jordanville, and thus joined in the joyous liturgical commemoration of the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus, and the great feast of the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem – Cveti.
Perhaps the best way to describe the worth of this pilgrimage is to briefly go over the itinerary and activities which summed up the very busy weekend.
Friday April 26, we congregated in front of Holy Trinity Church in Kitchener at 10am, and, via charter bus, made our way to St. Nicholas Cathedral in Hamilton (Nash Rd) where everyone, with Canadian passports in hand, crossed into the US around noon. On the bus, yours truly, a graduate of Holy Trinity Seminary class of 2011, gave introductions with some emphasis on the ties between the White Russian Émigré and the Serbian people, and in particular the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the post-Bolshevik revolution.
Most importantly a serious discussion was had about the strict rules at the monastery which entail dress code, mandatory attendance in church, meals, and obediences, and the liturgical space and practices of the monastery. The whispers and comments which could be heard throughout the bus led me to believe that the pilgrims were under the impression that we were going to a church boot camp.
Excellent! I wanted them to be on their best behaviour, but also, in an absent-from-the-lukewarm-
Dinner is had in rooms, segregated males and females, fully decorated with iconography, in strict silence, listening to reading from the lives of saints, or other texts from the Holy Fathers. After dinner a matins service for Lazarus’ Saturday – the day when we remember Christ miraculous raising of His friend Lazarus, who had been deceased for four days. Late that evening we walked back to the guesthouse.
Saturday April 26 began early – at 5:40am. We gathered in front of the guesthouse and walked to the church for Holy Liturgy. Following Liturgy we had coffee and breakfast, and around 9am we went for a long hike on the monastery property, all the way up to a cross on the hill overlooking the whole property.
Some took a small nap, most stayed behind to hear more about the people which have made this place special, from its founders Frs. Panteleimon and Iosif, to St. John of Shanghai, Archbishop Averky, Arhbishop Antony of San Francisco (tonsured in Miljkovo Monastery in Serbia), Metropolitan Laurus, Fr. Filimon (at one point abbot of Valaam monastery), Metropolitan Anastasije (one of three candidates for the Russian Patriarch when St. Tikhon was elected) and many, many other holy examples. Interestingly for us, many of these people, of blessed memory, have direct connections with Serbia.
Most of us helped Fr. Inokentije, a fellow Canadian, with preparing the palm and pussy willow branches for the upcoming church services.
Lunch at noon.
A tour of the seminary. A visit to the unique Russian History Museum, and the current exhibition entitled “Mysteries and Odysseys”, with personal items of the Russian Romanov Royal family on display.
We gathered in the main upper church where the significance of the Jordanville school of iconography, made famous by Fr. Cyprian (Pizhov), and his students was explained. It was familiar, of course, to those from Hamilton, as the stunning frescoes of St. Nicholas Church in Hamilton (Barton) were painted by Fr. Theodore Jurewich, a first-hand student of Fr. Cyprian.
The pilgrims venerated all the icons, and the multitude of holy relics in the upper and lower churches, including many venerating for the first time the relics of their family patron saints (slava saint) St. George the Great-martyr, and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, among hundreds of other saints of the Orthodox Church.
Following the tours we congregated near the confines of the humble skete of long time monastery abbot of blessed memory Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla). Speaking of his humility, firm loyalty to the traditional tenets of Orthodoxy, and his proud nurturing of pre-Bolshevik Revolution Russian heritage, I tried to reach, with the help of hierodeacon Metodije, and seminarian Dario, the conscience of the gathered youth, urging them to partake in the holy sacraments of Confession, and Holy Communion.
At 7pm we all prayed at the all-night vigil for the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem – Cveti. During the vigil all of the pilgrims, including the writer of these rows, had their confessions heard by the wise fathers confessors of the monastery. The church service, beautiful in its hymnography, Russian style liturgical symmetry, joyous green vestments, and novelty for Serb visitors, flew by, even though it was a few minutes short of four hours long. Tired, but being seen out to of the church by the resounding harmonious ringing of the monastery bell tower, we walked back to the guesthouse for rest.
Sunday morning we gathered at 8:20 to collect all the prayer list of names for our relatives, friends, and enemies, to be commemorated at the Holy Liturgy. At 9am, the entrance and vesting of His Grace Luke, Russian Orthodox Bishop of Syracuse and abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery, was something that will remain seared in the memory of all those present. In the Serbian Church, these liturgical moments are much simpler and shorter. Everyone partook of the Holy Blood and Body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
After lunch Bishop Luke greeted all the pilgrims, speaking of the need for young Orthodox Christians to struggle against the tendencies of the modern world, and highlighting that of all people, based on the close historical ties, Serbs should forever consider the Jordanville brotherhood as a place where they are welcome guests.
A little bit of shopping in the monastery bookstore, and gift shop. Last goodbyes, and packing on the bus. As a last token of prayerful memory, each of the pilgrims were gifted with an Orthodox Study Bible and a commemoration booklet with all of their names was given to the monastic brotherhood for reading every day at Holy Liturgy, for the duration of the next year.
MY THOUGHTS…
As I write this, in the wee hours of Monday morning, physically tired from the effort of preparing, and finally leading this pilgrimage, my “spiritual batteries” are full to embark on the prayerful and liturgical path of Holy Week and the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Jordanville delivered what I know it will continue to do for everyone who comes and makes an effort to familiarize themselves with it: echoed the incredible heritage of the great Russian people before the tragic events of the godless Communist Revolution, and MOST IMPORTANTLY allowed us to, even briefly, immerse ourselves into the unceasing liturgical, monastic, and seminarian, lifestyle of dedicated Orthodox Christian men – ranging from young seminarians, and novices, to professors, hard-working monks, wise and experienced priests and hieromonks, and a loving and unceasing leader in the person of the abbot Bishop Luke.
The whispers of pause and fear of 43 young Orthodox Serbs that they are going to a Church boot camp, turned into smiles of familiarity; true happiness rooted in bettering oneself in Christ, ridding our souls of sin and praying surrounded by those who humbly try to do the same gathered around the Chalice of the Holy Liturgy. We spent more hours in church than we did sleeping these two days (15 hours total). Tiring, eh?
What seemed scary and unknown caused the bar of moral responsibility, struggle to gain knowledge of the Faith, and brotherhood with others struggling to do the same, to be common among us all.
What proceeded was only natural: song, stories, even a kolo at the border crossing into Canada, and, of course, planning of the next gathering in Canada, and requests for an annual youth pilgrimage. God willing!
TO THANK…
This idea existed for a long time but Bishop Mitrofan’s call to action is what pushed this into realization. At His Grace’s insistence the Diocese organized and facilitated both the Youth Lenten Retreat at Holy Transfiguration Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Milton, and this Youth Pilgrimage.
The following parishes, with the blessing and support of their priests, contributed in making it feasible so that the youth had no expense to attend this pilgrimage (the transportation, lodging, meals, a donation, purchase of Orthodox Study Bibles…) as well as the previously held Youth Lenten Retreat in Milton Monastery:
Fr. Goran and Holy Trinity Church Kitchener
Frs. Dejan, Milojko and Zlatibor and All Serbian Saints Church Mississauga
Frs. Dragomir and Djuro and St Nicholas Church Hamilton Nash
Fr. Vojo and St. Nicholas Church Hamilton Barton
Fr. Milorad and St. George and St. Michael Church Niagara Falls
Fr. Dusko and St. Sava Church London
The brotherhood of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery, the professor and staff of Holy Trinity Seminary, the guesthouse staff, hierodeacon Metodije, seminarian Dario, and Alexei Zaikoff.
God help you all!
TO CONCLUDE…
Our youth is smarter, stronger, and more capable than we can fathom. THEY CARE!
We have to make an effort with them. Be patient and don’t judge. God will help move things along.
