On May 26, 2025, Monday of the 6th week after Easter, on National Memorial Day, at St. Tikhon's Monastery in Pennsylvania, the hierarchs, clergy, and laity of the Orthodox Church in America and the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the United States prayerfully celebrated the 100th anniversary of the death of the founder of the monastery, St. Tikhon (Belavin), Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', as well as the 55th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America and the establishment of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States.
The Divine Liturgy in the main church of the monastery was led by His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada; Archbishop Michael, Rector of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and ruling hierarch of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey; the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Sergius (Bowyer); the acting Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, Priest Alessandro Margheritino; the Dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary, Archpriest John Parker; the acting Secretary of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov); the head of the chancery, Priest Mark Rashkov; the Dean of the Atlantic States parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest John Vass; as well as the brethren of the monastery and ordained seminary faculty.
With the blessing of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Nicholas, the wonderworking myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was brought to the monastery for the festal service by its guardian, the rector of the Iveron parish in Honolulu, Hawaii, Priest Nektarios Yangson.
Praying at the service were numerous clergy and laity of various Orthodox jurisdictions in the USA, making the traditional pilgrimage to St. Tikhon’s Monastery on the national Memorial Day.
After the Gospel reading, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon addressed the faithful with a sermon. During the Liturgy, fervent prayers were offered for the repose of the departed archpastors, clergy, monastics and laity who labored for the sake of Orthodoxy in America.
At the end of the service, His Beatitude warmly greeted all participants in the celebration who had come to prayerfully glorify St. Tikhon in the ongoing jubilee year marking the 100th anniversary of his repose. His Beatitude expressed joy at the opportunity to celebrate this occasion with the participation of clergy and parishioners of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and the Russian Church Outside of Russia — the whole fullness of the spiritual legacy of St. Tikhon’s archpastoral labors in North America. Addressing Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in the USA and Canada, His Beatitude asked him to convey his warmest greetings to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness KIRILL, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’. Metropolitan Tikhon emphasized that the Orthodox Church in America, which received the Tomos of autocephaly 55 years ago, will always preserve its love and gratitude toward the Mother Church and, together with the clergy and faithful of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and the Russian Church Outside of Russia, will continue the labors of our pious predecessors for the good of Orthodoxy in North America.
Bishop Matthew conveyed to His Beatitude and all his flock the greetings and congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, and expressed gratitude to Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop Michael, the abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery Archimandrite Sergius and the seminary Dean Archpriest John for their unfailing fraternal relations and cooperation with the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA.
After the service, the hierarchs, clergy and pilgrims continued their fellowship at a fraternal meal prepared by the brethren of the monastery.
After lunch, Metropolitan Tikhon and Bishop Matthew had a fraternal meeting at the reception house of St. Tikhon’s Seminary. The hierarchs discussed matters of mutual interest, as well as an upcoming joint pilgrimage to Alaska and participation in the celebrations of the glorification of Righteous Olga of Alaska (+1979). Bishop Matthew told Metropolitan Tikhon about the 15th Assembly of Clergy and Laity of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, held the day before, and presented His Beatitude with the English-language text of the new akathist to St. Tikhon, approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on March 20, 2025.
Also taking part in the meeting were the acting Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, Priest Alessandro Margheritino; the Dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary, Archpriest John Parker; the acting Secretary of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov); the head of the chancery, Priest Mark Rashkov; and Bishop Matthew’s personal secretary, Subdeacon Nikolai Trubnikov.
