Representatives of the Russian, American, Ukrainian, and Belorussian Churches took part in the Celebrations of the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of Rus in Jackson, NJ

July 28, 2013

On Sunday, July 28, the All-Diocesan St. Vladimir’s Day Celebrations were held at St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ. The celebrations were organized by the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Church Abroad, and dedicated to the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ and the 75th anniversary of the church’s founding. Clergy who came to the celebrations from America, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus greeted His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. The archpastors, clergy, and multitudinous pilgrims piously greeted three wonderworking icons of the Mother of God that have graced the celebrations with their presence: the Kursk Root Icon, the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Icon, and the Pochaev Icon.

Following the greeting, the clergy and faithful, flanked by Cossack representatives and young scouts from NORR (Association of Russian Explorers) and SGPA (St. George’s Pathfinders of America) camps, processed to the Memorial Church, where Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated the Divine Liturgy. The First Hierarch was co-served by Their Eminences, Archbishops Justinian of Naro-Fominsk (Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA) and Gabriel of Montreal & Canada; Their Graces, Bishops Meletiy of Khotin (vicar of the Diocese of Chernovtsy & Bukovina of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church), George of Mayfield (vicar of the Eastern American Diocese), Irénée of Quebec City (Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada, OCA), and Jerome (Shaw; retired).