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Published
by the Orthodox
Church in America,
October 3, 2005
Wonderworking
Sitka Icon visits Midwest parishes
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WICHITA,
KS [OCA Communications] — On Tuesday,
September 27, 2005, Saint George Antiochian
Orthodox Cathedral here was the first of over a
dozen parishes across the midwest slated to host
the wonderworking Sitka Icon of the Mother of
God as it makes its way across the US on a
two-month pilgrimage that began in Seattle, WA
on September 7.
His Grace, Bishop Nikolai of Sitka, Anchorage,
and Alaska initially presented the proposal for
the cross-country pilgrimage to His Beatitude,
Metropolitan Herman and the members of the Holy
Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in
America in 2004. In the summer of 2005, the icon
visited numerous parishes and communities across
Alaska in preparation for the pilgrimage.
"The icon was commissioned by Saint
Innocent Veniaminov, the first ruling bishop in
North America," said the Very Rev. John
Matusiak, OCA communications director. "It
has been enshrined in Archangel Michael
Cathedral, Sitka, AK, since the mid-1800s."
Numerous miraculous healings have been ascribed
to the intercession of the Mother of God as a
result of prayers offered before the icon.
"The icon miraculously survived the fire
that completely destroyed the Sitka cathedral in
the mid-1960s," he added, "and it
subsequently was enshrined in the rebuilt
cathedral several years later."
While the icon had visited a number of parishes
in the "lower 48" during the past
three decades, the present pilgrimage marks the
first time that it is being made available to
the faithful in so many parishes coast-to-coast.
Accompanying the icon during the pilgrimage are
clergy from Alaska, who in addition to
concelebrating at services in the icon's
presence are offering an overview of the life
and needs of the Diocese of Alaska, the
"mother diocese" of Orthodox
Christianity in North America.
The icon will visit the following parishes
across the midwest.
Tuesday, September 27 -- Saint George
Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Wichita, KS; 7:00
p.m. Akathistos Hymn.
Wednesday, September 28 -- Holy Trinity
Church, Overland Park, KS; 7:00 p.m. Akathistos
Hymn.
Thursday, September 29 -- Nativity of the
Holy Virgin Church, Madison, IL; 7:00 p.m.
Akathistos Hymn.
Friday / Saturday, September 30 / October 1
-- Saint Mary Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN; 7:00
p.m. Great Vespers and Akathistos Hymn Friday
evening; Divine Liturgy and Service of
Intercession Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, October 1 -- Saints Cyril and
Methodius Church, Milwaukee, WI; 6:00 p.m. Great
Vespers.
Sunday, October 2 -- Saint Joseph Church,
Wheaton, IL; 8:00, 9:30, and 11:30 Divine
Liturigies, with Services of Intercession after
each Liturgy.
Sunday evening, October 2 -- Holy
Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral,
Chicago, IL; 7:00 p.m. Akathistos Hymn.
Monday, October 3 -- Holy Trinity
Cathedral, Chicago, IL; 7:00 p.m. Akathistos
Hymn.
Tuesday, October 4 -- Saint Nicholas
Church, Kenosha, WI; 7:00 p.m. Akathistos Hymn.
Wednesday / Thursday, October 5 / 6 --
Holy Transfiguration Church, Livonia, MI; 7:00
p.m. Akathistos Hymn Wednesday evening; Divine
Liturgy and Service of Intercession Thursday
morning at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday / Friday, October 6 / 7 --
Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery, Rives
Junction, MI; 5:00 p.m. Vespers and Akathistos
Hymn Thursday evening; Divine Liturgy Friday
morning at 8:00 a.m.
Friday, October 7 -- Holy Ascension
Monastery, Detroit, MI; 6:00 p.m. Vespers and
Akathistos Hymn.
Saturday, October 8 -- Holy Trinity
Church, Parma, OH; 5:00 p.m. Great Vespers and
Akathistos Hymn.
Sunday, October 9 -- Archangel Michael
Church, Broadview Heights, OH; 9:30 a.m. Divine
Liturgy and Service of Intercession.
Sunday, October 9 -- Saint Elia Church,
Akron, OH; 7:00 p.m. Akathistos Hymn.
Saturday / Sunday, November 5 / 6 --
Saint John the Baptist Church, Campbell, OH;
5:00 p.m. Great Vespers and Akathistos Hymn
Saturday; Divine Liturgy Sunday morning at 10:00
a.m.
Sunday / Monday, November 6 / 7 -- Saints
Peter and Paul Church, Lorain, OH; 7:00 p.m.
Akathistos Hymn Sunday; Divine Liturgy Monday
morning at 9:00 a.m.
A complete schedule of the icon's visits is
posted on the OCA web site at www.oca.org and on
the web site of the Diocese of Alaska at
www.dioceseofalaska.org.
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