KURSK ROOT ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
VISITED ST. SAVA'S CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City, NY - With the blessing
of the First Hierarch of ROCOR, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of
Eastern America and New York, on Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th
of June, the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God visited St. Sava’s
Serbian Cathedral in New York on the occasion of Vidovdan, the principal
Serbian national holiday and the 621th anniversary of the Battle of
Kosovo. The magnificent cathedral was built in 1855 and originally
served as an Episcopal church until the 1940’s, when the cathedral was
purchased by Serbian immigrants and consecrated in honor of St. Sava of
Serbia. St. Sava’s Cathedral is the only Serbian church in New York, and
is the center of the Serbian community in New York.
On Saturday evening, June 26, diocesan
secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov brought the wonder-working icon to
the cathedral. The Great Vespers with akathist were led by the rector,
Archpriest Djokan Majstorovic, co-served by Fr. Serge, Archpriest Zoran
Radovic (rector of St. George’s Serbian Church in Elizabeth, NJ), Priest
Vladislav Radujkovic (cathedral cleric), and Archdeacon Jovan
Stanojevic (cleric of the Serbian Patriarchate). The general singing of
the akathist before the holy icon was performed in English and Serbian.
The following morning,
the faithful greeted His Grace, Bishop Mitrophan of Eastern America
(Serbian Orthodox Church), after which the Divine Liturgy began. His
Grace was co-served by the above-mentioned clergy.
Exalted guests were present at the divine
service: Their Royal Highnesses, Crown Prince Alexander II, Head of the
Serbian Royal House, Heir to the Throne of Yugoslavia, and his spouse,
Crown Princess Katherine. The royal couple prayed on the solea during
the Divine Liturgy. In addition to Their Highnesses, the following
honored guests were also present: the Honorable Branko Radosevic, Consul
General of the Republic of Serbia in New York City, and the Honorable
Koula Sophianou, Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus in New York
City.Upon completion of the Liturgy, Bishop Mitrophan greeted the royal
couple, thanking Their Highnesses for celebrating Vidovdan with their
countrymen here in America. His Grace also thanked the First Hierarch,
Metropolitan Hilarion, for the chance to pray before the wonder-working
icon of the Mother of God. In his reply, Fr. Serge greeted His Grace on
behalf of the Metropolitan and expressed his sincere gratitude for the
warm reception and the prayerful and fraternal bonds with our Serbian
brothers and sisters. Fr. Serge underscored the important role played by
the Serbian people in the most trying years of the 20th Century, when
the Kursk Root Icon was taken abroad and became the guide of the whole
Russian Diaspora. He said in part: "Today’s historic first visit of the
wonder-working icon to St. Sava’s Cathedral is a sign of the unity of
our two peoples in Christ. May the Heavenly Queen help us to continue
our co-service and witness to the true faith in the American land." Fr.
Serge then passed along the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion to Crown
Prince Alexander and St. Sava’s Cathedral in the form of an exact copy
of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. During the veneration of
the Cross, all of the faithful were given small copies of the Kursk icon
as a blessing from Metropolitan Hilarion.
After the Liturgy, parish school students
presented an historic play in the parish center in remembrance of the
Battle of Kosovo and the martyric death of St. Lazar the Prince-Martyr.
After the presentation, Crown Prince Alexander greeted the children, and
tasked their parents with bringing up their progeny in an Orthodox,
patriotic spirit, so that they might not forget their history, their
culture, and their inheritance. A bountiful luncheon was then offered
for all those in attendance.
Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR www.eadiocese.org