This year (2019), the Protection of the Mother of God women’s monastery, newly moved from New York to Allegan, Michigan, celebrated its first main feast day at its new location.
Pilgrims began arriving Thursday, October 3rd, eager to help with the preparations and adornment of such a beautiful feast of the Most Pure Mother. Saturday evening the sisterhood of the monastery together with their spiritual father and the faithful present welcomed His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae upon his arrival and officiated Great Vespers and Litia. Sunday morning Orthros and Divine Liturgy was celebrated. The left side of the choir was composed of chanters from New York and Detroit as well as of the numerous children that were present at the service, whose voices brought joy to the souls of the faithful. Two deacons were also present: Aurel Para from the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago and Sergiu Vlas (the brother-in-law of the monastery’s spiritual father) from the St. Ananias Antiochian Orthodox parish in Evansville, Indiana. His Eminence fed the souls of the faithful with words of wisdom both Saturday evening as well as Sunday after Holy Liturgy, deepening the understanding of the Sunday Gospel and that of the feast of the Holy Protection.
This first feast day was a symbolic beginning for the new sisterhood, and there could not have been a better moment to receive a new Antimension, the previous one dating from 2001, when on the 4th of July, the first Liturgy was celebrated under the Protection of the Mother of God at the former location in Ellenville, NY. On this occasion, His Eminence Nicolae explained the meaning of this important liturgical object that expresses the connection of the parish or monastery with the sacrifice of the Savior represented on the Antimension and with the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs whose relics are always found in every blessed Antimension, as well as with the Bishop of the region, and through him, with the entire Orthodox Church. At the end of the service, the pilgrims received as a gift small icons of the Protection of the Mother of God.
At the agape following the service, Hieromonk Atanasie, the spiritual father of the monastery, talked about the importance of monasteries in the spiritual life. As his mother and sister were present for the first time at this monastery, in moving words of gratitude, Fr. Atanasie emphasized the enormous role of parents in the upbringing of their children toward the Heavenly Kingdom in these troubled times in which there is a frightful war between the forces of darkness and those of Light for the feeble souls of the children and youth lacking spiritual experience. Following this discourse, His Eminence encouraged the sisterhood on the journey they have started in January of this year, explaining to the faithful the meaning of hesychasm, prayer, but also missionary work of monastic life, inviting them to support, through prayer, volunteer work, and donations, the construction of the new building consisting of cells and a chapel so necessary for the sisterhood of the monastery. At the end, the faithful went to see the site where the foundation of the new building and chapel dedicated to Saint John Jacob of Neamt is being constructed.
We thank the Most Pure Mother, who with a gladsome light, blessed this first feast day of her Monastery and the souls of the Romanians that came to receive shelter under her Holy Veil!
Hieromonk Atanasie Popescu
