The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, DC, has again been the recipient of God’s bountiful mercy. On Wednesday, September 3, the parish was visited by the myrrh-streaming "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Its tireless custodian, Priest Nectarios Yangson, has visited parishes not only of the Eastern American Diocese, but also churches of the OCA, as well as Serbian and Romanian Churches on the East Coast.

Over the course of the past week, the parish office received inquiries from all over the country, asking when the icon would arrive, how long it would be in Washington, whether people would be able to receive paper copies of the icon and packets of cotton steeped in myrrh, and so on.

The icon was brought into the church on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Well before that time, the church was already filled to capacity. Just as it happens at Pascha, those unable to get into the church stood outside in the courtyard and listened to the divine service through the cathedral’s western open doors. Fortunately, the weather was wonderful.

The cathedral’s two choirs sang soulfully, in Church Slavonic and English, at the moleben and akathist before the wonderworking icon.

After the Gospel reading, the rector, Archpriest Victor Potapov, delivered a short homily: He reminded the faithful of the words pronounced by the Righteous Saint Elizabeth upon seeing the chaste Virgin Mary, "And whence is it to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (How have I merited such mercy, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?). With these words, the preacher was trying to say that, despite our sinfulness, the Lord has made it possible for everyone to participate in the feast of faith. Further, Fr. Victor said that currently, humanity is experiencing a multitude of serious trials related to wars and political instabilities. He called upon everyone in attendance to intensify their prayers, that the Lord grant peace to the whole world.

On Thursday, September 4, the Iveron icon departed for the State of New York. Now parishioners of St. John the Baptist Cathedral are preparing for the next major event. On September 13, the His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, First Hierarch of ROCOR, is expected to arrive – bringing with him the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God – and lead the general celebration of the cathedral’s patronal feast day.

Archpriest Victor Potapov