On Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th of August, the brethren of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV, led by His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, and a multitude of pilgrims, celebrated the feast day of their monastery’s Heavenly patron, the Holy Great-Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.

Since the early days of the Hermitage brotherhood, St. Panteleimon has been a loving patron saint and a powerful intercessor for the monastic community and to all those who visit the monastery to call upon his aid. On this most recent celebration of St. Panteleimon’s feast day, the grace showered upon the monastery through the love and intercessions of St. Panteleimon and the patron of all monastics – the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary – was quite evidently present.

On Saturday evening, the All-Night Vigil with an akathist to St. Panteleimon was served, with Bishop Nicholas presiding, co-served by monastic clergy: abbot Archimandrite Seraphim (Voepel), deputy abbot Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell), Hieromonks Andrew (O’Leary), Nektarios (Merry), Hilarion (Heagy), and Gabriel (Hooten), and Hierodeacons Sergius (Wilson) and Paisios (Laiblin), as well as visiting clerics: Archimandrite Daniel (Keller; Antiochian Archdiocese), Archpriest John Dixon (rector of Holy Spirit Antiochian Church in Huntington, WV), Priest Mark Elliott (rector of St. George Greek Church in Huntington) and Deacons Jeremiah Davis and Andrew Temple (clerics of Christ the Savior Church in Wayne).

During the Vigil, Bishop Nicholas gave a brief yet inspiring homily, calling all the monastics and faithful to emulate St. Panteleimon in his steadfast and self-denying love and devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: "Not because we know it is the ‘right thing’ that we should do, but because we truly love God above all things."

At the end of Vigil, a monastic candidate was made a novice. The new Brother Michael is the latest of a number of men that the Lord has sent to the Hermitage of the Holy Cross this summer.

Following the All-Night Vigil was a wonderful reception with food and beverages provided by the Saad family, who are very good friends and benefactors of the monastery, and who are parishioners of the Holy Spirit Antiochian parish in Huntington.

On Sunday morning, following a Lesser Blessing of the Water, Bishop Nicholas celebrated the Hierarchal Liturgy, co-served by monastic clergy and Deacons Jeremiah and Andrew. During the Hours, Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell) was elevated to the rank of Abbot, and Hierodeacon Sergius (Wilson) was elevated to Archdeacon.

At the completion of Divine Liturgy, a festal moleben was served to the Holy Great-Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, and all names that have been sent to the Hermitage brotherhood for commemoration were read before the icon of the Heavenly patron of the Hermitage.

At the completion of the moleben, Bishop Nicholas offered some words of thanksgiving to the Hermitage brethren and to all the pilgrims present. He presented a magnificently carved wooden icon of the Holy Napkin to the monastery as a gift on behalf of himself and of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. In return, a beautifully framed icon of St. Panteleimon was presented to Bishop Nicholas as a gift on behalf of the brethren of Holy Cross Monastery.

The brethren and pilgrims were then treated to a festal meal, which included a number of delicious Lebanese dishes, cooked especially by friends and benefactors who attend the local Holy Spirit Antiochian Church.

The weekend was filled with many blessings and with much grace, but the Lord had yet to bestow His final visitation on the brothers during the feast. Schemamonk John (Dezorzi), who had been afflicted with cancer and who spent the last two weeks at the Hermitage, peacefully went to the Lord at 11:50 PM on Sunday night of the feast of St. Panteleimon. It was a blessing and triumph for Schemamonk John, as many remarked that they have never seen such a beautiful and Christian death, surrounded by the sacraments and prayers of all the brothers at the monastery. The next morning, a funeral was served for Schemamonk John.

Archimandrite Seraphim (Voepel) remarked that this was the Hermitage’s largest St. Panteleimon’s Day feast to date, and in a way, it was the most remarkable.