Hartford, Connecticut, December 10, 2021
At the place of the Lord's Crucifixion inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Photo: britannica.com
Jerusalem, the Holy City—the place of Christ’s Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension, is the jewel of the Orthodox Church.
In this season, Orthodox Christians from around the world make a pilgrimage to visit the holy sites and to trace the life of Christ beginning with His Nativity in Bethlehem through His earthly ministry and triumph on the Cross. However, during the Nativity Fast both this year and last, many holy sites including those in the care of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (ROCOR) have suffered great financial hardship due to the lack of pilgrims.
We, the members of the Holy Orthodox Order of St. George the Great Martyr, have heard their heartfelt plea. On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the spiritual advisor for the Order, we call upon our fellow Orthodox Christians from around the world to come together in charity and service to stand with and join us in helping the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem during this time of great financial trial. Although this year our feet may not walk in Jerusalem as did the Magi from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the infant Christ, we can still make a spiritual pilgrimage of the heart through almsgiving and prayer.
The Order’s goal is to raise $20,000 or more from the beginning of the Nativity Fast until Christmas for the Ecclesiastical Mission. We understand many, including us the members of the Order, may be experiencing financial trials, yet amidst struggle Christ Himself sees our sacrificial gifts and our steadfast hearts even if our gifts might seem modest to others. As our Lord Jesus Christ said: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth but lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven. For where your treasure is there your heart will also be.
Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Order’s website.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, join us in lifting our hearts by investing our temporal treasures, be it $10, $100, or $1,000 for the preservation of the place that foreshadows our Heavenly Jerusalem. Every gift helps to preserves the monastics, children, and historically priceless sites of our faith in the care of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
100% of all financial donations are directly applied to the annual philanthropic mission and the communities it serves in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
We thank you for joining with us in our mission, and may the Lord bless you and your families throughout this Nativity season.
Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Order’s website.
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The Holy Orthodox Order of St. George the Great Martyr was founded in October 2019, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
The Order of St. George’s goals are to help the Orthodox poor, the sick, the needy, the maimed, the mentally ill, the imprisoned, the socially disadvantaged and the persecuted. The Order also strives to assist in the protection and maintenance of Orthodox holy places including monasteries, seminaries, cathedrals, churches, and shrines.
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