St. Tikhon's Memorial Day Pilgrimage

This past May, Hieromonk Basil and Riassophore-monk Ephraim traveled to St. Tikhon’s Monastery for the annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage. Our monks arrived several days early to participate in the festival choir conducted by Benedict Sheehan. Archimandrite Zacharias (Zacharou), prolific author and disciple of St. Sophrony of Essex, was also present for the weekend, as was the “Hawaiian” Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. On Sunday evening, the festival choir premiered selections from Benedict Sheehan’s new setting for the Divine Liturgy. The choir then sang the entire piece for the festive hierarchal Liturgy the following morning. This year’s Memorial Day Pilgrimage was a historic occasion, as Metropolitan Nicholas concelebrated with the OCA’s Metropolitan Tikhon—only the second time in one hundred years that a ROCOR primate has served together with the head of the OCA. It was truly a special time. We are grateful to God for our ongoing spiritual relationship with St. Tikhon’s Monastery, and for the chance to participate in this momentous expression of pan-Orthodox unity.

The St. Tikhon's Festival Choir performs at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Honesdale, PA.

Metropolitan Nicholas delivers brotherly remarks to Metropolitan Tikhon of the OCA after concelebrating the Divine Liturgy.