On Monday, November 18, the feast of Holy Confessor Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, the burial of Archbishop Peter of Chicago & Mid-America took place at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. The day before, on the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, His Grace Luke, Bishop of Syracuse, along with the brethren, seminarians, and pilgrims of the monastery, met the coffin with the body of the deceased, which was brought to Holy Trinity Cathedral during the monastic services.
That evening, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, arrived at the holy habitation from Chicago, accompanied by the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign."
Divine Liturgy on Monday, November 18, was celebrated conciliarly in the priestly rite by the clergy of the monastery and visiting clerics. After the memorial repast, Metropolitan Nicholas led a panihida at the coffin of the reposed. He delivered a eulogy in which he touched upon the Jordanville period of Archbishop Peter’s life. Here the late hierarch had studied, having enrolled upon the repose of his beloved hierarch, Archbishop John (Maximovich; +1966); later he taught, was tonsured a monk, assisted the future Metropolitan Laurus (Škurla; +2008), was the Secretary of the Monastic Council and the Inspector of Holy Trinity Seminary. It was thanks to his teaching, the exemplary churchly life he led and his memories of the pillars of the Russian Church Abroad, many of whom he knew personally, that many became clergymen or active members of the Church.
Concelebrating were Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada; Bishop Luke; Bishop Seraphim of Kostajnica, vicar of the Diocese of New Gracanica-Chicago (Serbian Orthodox Church), and Bishop Jerome (Shaw), who graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary with the late archpastor in 1971; along with clergy of the Dioceses of Canada, Mid-America, and Eastern America, monastery clergy, and other clerics.
At the end of the panihida, a procession of the cross took place around the monastery cathedral, which ended with a litany at the grave of Archbishop Peter and the rite of burial. Archbishop Peter was buried next to his predecessor, Archbishop Alypy (Gamanovich; +2019) of blessed memory, in the brotherhood cemetery of the monastery.
Jordanville, NY: Archbishop Peter of Chicago & Mid-America buried at Holy Trinity Monastery - 11/18/24
Photos: A. Pavuk, G. Naasko
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