On June 3-6, Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY celebrated Pentecost weekend. The cathedral was festively decorated with freshly-cut saplings, some tall enough to reach the base of the dome. This very strikingly manifests the Church’s concept of recapitulation, as the entire universe has been transfigured through Christ and brought within the purview of the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit, Who gives life to all.

As the capstone moment when the Holy Trinity enters into full relationship with humanity and the world through the foundation of the Church, Pentecost is celebrated for three days in honor of the Three Persons. Following the Saturday service to commemorate the dead, Pentecost Sunday was celebrated as a hierarchical Liturgy led by His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen; former Primate of the Orthodox Church in America), and culminated with the Vespers with kneeling prayers.

Monday, Holy Spirit Day, was not only the second day of liturgical celebration but was also the patronal feast day of Holy Trinity Monastery. The monastery was blessed with the presence of His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, and His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan. Metropolitan Jonah remained for the festivities. During the Hours a recent graduate, Vadim Abramov, was tonsured a reader. During the Little Entrance, for their service to the Church, Abbot Theophylact (Clapper-DeWell) was awarded the jeweled cross, and Priest Andrei Rudenko (cleric of Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Albany, NY) and Hieromonk Anatoly (Zilin) were both awarded the gold cross.

After Liturgy, the hierarchs, priests, faculty, seminarians, and guests were invited to a reception.