From Friday the 16th through Sunday the 18th of March, members of the Sisterhood of St. Lydia from St. John Cassian Chapel in Bessemer, AL made a Lenten pilgrimage to the Monastery of the Glorious Ascension in Resaca, GA for the fourth weekend of Great Lent. Arriving at the monastery on Friday evening, they were able to attend the singing of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God, according to the monastery’s custom on Fridays of Great Lent.

On Saturday morning, Archimandrite Maximos (Weimar) of the Brotherhood of St. Dionysios the Areopagite in St. James, NY celebrated Liturgy for the last Soul Saturday of Great Lent; after the service, the ladies assisted Sister Christonymphi in cleaning and polishing all of the brass in the monastery’s chapel, before attending Great Vespers that evening.

On Sunday morning, the ladies attended Matins and Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of St. John Climacus; concelebrating with Fr. Maximos were monastery clerics Priest Benedict Simpson and Deacon Michael Wells. After Liturgy, the pilgrims enjoyed the hospitality of the monastery at the Sunday luncheon, afterward getting to enjoy some time with Fr. Maximos and receiving his blessing, before returning home that afternoon.