Washington, D.C., July 22, 2019
Photo: stjohndc.org The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, D.C. is under the protection of two great saints named John, and now it will enjoy the protection of a third.
The church was founded by St. John the Wonderworker of San Francisco in 1949 and named in honor of the great prophet St. John the Baptist, and now a new monument to one of Russia’s most beloved saints—St. John of Kronstadt—will be erected at the cathedral, reports UrduPoint.
“Many Americans know St. John of Kronstadt because they have reading English translation of his most famous work - My Life in Christ, his diaries. He is known in the Orthodox community in the U.S.,” Potapov said.
The monument will be America’s first to St. John of Kronstadt, cathedral dean Archpriest Victor Potapov explained. The statue, created by sculptor Dimitry Kukkolos, stands 9 feet tall and weighs more than 1,800 pounds. It was donated by Russia's Foundation Under the Protection of the Theotokos, which sponsors sculptures of great Orthodox saints in Russia, Europe, Australia, and America, and the Russian National Creative Studio ARTPROEKT.
Several of the Foundation’s sculptures already stand at the ROCOR Synod of Bishops in New York City, at the Eastern Diocese’s cathedral in Howell, New Jersey, and in San Francisco.
The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion will consecrate the monument on the parish’s feast day, September 8.
The monument arrived to the church on July 15. Fr. Victor reports that the Russian Aeroflot airlines transported the statue free of charge and that it passed through customs “like a breeze.”
The cost of creating a new space for the monument, for installation, and for descriptive bronze plaques on the front and back of the pedestal will between $7,500 and $8,000. Fr. Victor invites all members and friends of the church to help cover the costs of erecting the unique new monument. He notes that $2,500 were already collected just on one Sunday.
Contribution checks can be made out to St. John ROC/Monument, and can be mailed to:
St. John ROC
4001 17th St. NW
Washington, DC 20011
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