On May 25, 2026, Monday of the 7th week of Pascha, on the national Memorial Day, St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania held the traditional commemoration of the founders of the monastery, which draws many pilgrims from various Orthodox jurisdictions in the USA.
The Divine Liturgy in the All Saints Chapel 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; Bishop Nikodhim of Boston, ruling hierarch of the Albanian Archdiocese; the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Sergius (Bowyer); 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; as well as the brethren of the monastery, seminary faculty and ordained pilgrims.
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.
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 and presented certificates of completion to the first graduating class of the church singing program.
Metropolitan Tikhon addressed words of greeting to Bishop Matthew and the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA, asking them to convey his most sincere good wishes to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, who had celebrated his name day the previous day.
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. As a gift to the monastery, Bishop Matthew presented an icon of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who is especially venerated among the Orthodox of America.
Then, at the grave of Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), First Hierarch of the North American Metropolia from 1950 to 1965, who is buried behind the altar of the monastery’s main church, Metropolitan Tikhon and the concelebrating clergy served a litiya for the departed, commemorating the reposed Primates, hierarchs, clergy, monastics and laity buried in the monastery cemetery.
After the service, the hierarchs, clergy and pilgrims continued their fellowship at a fraternal meal.
