The feast of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God on August 5 is the patronal feast of the community in North Port, FL. In December 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral; +2022) of Eastern America & New York blessed this name for the new, emerging Orthodox parish in Florida.

Today, the community of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is becoming a haven of faith, hope, peace, prayer, and spiritual support for many believers – especially for refugees from Ukraine, for whom the Pochaev Icon holds such deep significance. On the eve of the feast, the brethren and parishioners prepared the church for the celebration, cleaning the sanctuary, the refectory, and the surrounding grounds. Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk) put special effort into adorning the church with flowers.

This year, distinguished guests arrived to share in the joy of the patronal feast: Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York and Bishop Theodosius of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese.

Concelebrating with the hierarchs at the divine service were: Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk; parish rector), Archpriests Alexandre Antchoutine (Dean of Florida), Yaroslav Lutoschin (cleric of Resurrection Cathedral in Deerfield Beach, FL), Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" Church in Staten Island, NY), Sergii Maliuk (cleric of Three Hierarchs Church in Hollywood, FL), Aleksandar Djurdjevic (rector of St. Sava Serbian Church in North Port), Priest Mikhail Mikhailenko (cleric of St. Vladimir Church in Miami), Protodeacon Anthony Koval (cleric of the Western American Diocese), and Hierodeacon Paisius (Alexeevets) and Deacon Alexander Kharitoniuk (parish clerics).

During the All-Night Vigil, before the Polyeleos, the clergy and the congregation sang the Akathist to the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. The service was enhanced by the beautiful singing of the choir under the direction of conductor Valeria Surova.

In the morning, prior to Divine Liturgy, the Lesser Blessing of Waters was performed.

Afterward, the clergy solemnly welcomed Metropolitan Nicholas and escorted him into the church. Before Liturgy began, His Eminence blessed parish altar servers Andrei Burtsev, Peter Vlasov, and Vsevolod Podolsky to wear the cassock and the orarion.

The monastery choir prayerfully performed the antiphons composed by Archimandrite Roman (Podlubnyak), as well as a beautiful "Alleluia" by contemporary composer Mikhail Solntsev.

Numerous pilgrims from Miami, Naples, Tampa, and other cities arrived for the feast. A multitude of pilgrims and guests from various parishes and cities arrived for the feast, and a large number of the faithful received Holy Communion.

Following the service, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the congregation with a sermon. His Eminence emphasized the special importance of venerating the Most Holy Theotokos and expressed the wish that everyone might spiritually ascend Mount Pochaev, so as to glorify God in both their lives and their labors.

In turn, Fr. Stefan warmly thanked the hierarchs and clergy for their shared prayers and spiritual support. As a token of gratitude and in memory of their visit to the monastery, the brotherhood presented panagias to the hierarchs.

The celebrations concluded with a festal meal and warm fellowship among the clergy, guests, and parishioners.

Bishop Theodosius shared memories of his early pilgrimages to the Pochaev Lavra, noting that upon entering the Church of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God in Florida, one is spiritually transported back to the homeland.

For his part, Fr. Alexandre Antchoutine wished the community continued prosperity and spiritual strengthening, emphasizing that if a church is not filled with prayer, all its outward splendor risks turning it into nothing more than a museum.

The brotherhood extends its heartfelt gratitude to all who labored in preparation for the feast, as well as to everyone who set aside their daily affairs to come to the church and glorify the Lord and His Most Pure Mother – the Most Holy Theotokos – together.