On Saturday the 30th and Sunday the 31st of August, the parish of Holy Great Martyr & Healer Panteleimon Church in Hartford, CT, performed a pilgrimage to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, where they took part in the celebrations honoring Venerable Job of Pochaev. 

The pilgrims joined the procession with the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God from Holy Dormition Church at the monastery cemetery to Holy Trinity Cathedral, where they then prayed with the monastery brethren at a moleben and akathist to St. Job.

The following morning, all the pilgrims confessed and received Christ’s Holy Mysteries at Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, co-served by Bishops Luke of Syracuse and Job of Stuttgart. A special consolation for the brethren and all the worshipers was the presence of the miraculous Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God at the services.

In his sermon, His Eminence the Metropolitan indicated the need for Orthodox Christians to strive for spiritual perfection, which should also be manifested in caring for one’s neighbors and looking to the welfare of God’s Church, as did the founding fathers and trustees of Holy Trinity Monastery, and the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus (Škurla; +2008) and Archimandrite Flor (Vanko; +2012). This year, the traditional pilgrimage fell on the day of remembrance of the Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus, their Heavenly patrons.

After the Sunday luncheon, pilgrims were able to interact with the brotherhood and the Metropolitan at a festal reception held in honor of the memory of the Martyrs Florus and Laurus.

Prior to their departure, the pilgrims went up to the cross, where they bowed and sang the troparion of the Cross.