For decades, it has been the tradition of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY to hold a special popular celebration commemorating the Venerable and God-bearing Job of Pochaev, the Heavenly protector of the monastery’s publishing efforts, as well as honoring the wonderworking Pochaev Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, over the long Labor Day Weekend.

So it was this year that crowds of the faithful came to the monastery to piously spend their holiday. A busload of pilgrims came from St. Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT. Others came from all over the northeast.

On Saturday afternoon, a procession left the monastery’s main Holy Trinity Cathedral to go up to the cemetery chapel of the Dormition to retrieve the Pochaev Icon and bring it back to the cathedral, singing hymns of the Dormition. A moleben and akathist were then sung to the Mother of God and St. Job.

The usual Sunday Vigil was served with additions to the service, commemorating St. Job. A litia was served with a procession around the church.

The following morning, His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Luke of Syracuse, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the cathedral, co-served by monastery clergy; an early Liturgy had also been served in the lower church of St. Job. At the end of the services, a moleben was served to St. Job with a procession around the cathedral.

A luncheon was served for all of the local faithful and visiting pilgrims. The next day, Labor Day Monday, Bishop Luke again celebrated Liturgy.