Jordanville, New York, November 2, 2022
Photo: Jordanville.org The 25th anniversary of the repose of the keeper of the miraculous Montreal Iveron Icon of the Mother of God Icon Br. José Muñoz-Cortes was celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Holy Trinity Monastery on Monday.
“There are times when the grace of the Holy Spirit seems especially abundant in the Holy Trinity Monastery. Such has been so these past few days,” the monastery press service writes of the celebration.
In addition to the busloads of pilgrims coming from Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, and Lakewood, New Jersey, the commemorative weekend was attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikoloz (Pachuashvili) of Akhalkalaki and Kumurdo and Kari of the Georgian Orthodox Church, who came to tell about the veneration of Br. José in Georgia and to inspire ROCOR to prepare his canonization.
In October 2017, it was reported that the ROCOR Eastern American Diocese had created a commission to gather documents towards his eventual glorification, though no news has been heard since.
Met. Nikoloz also attended the pilgrimage for the 40th anniversary of the repose of Blessed Seraphim (Rose) at St. Herman’s Monastery in Platina, California, in early September with the same message: Fr. Seraphim is widely venerated and it’s time for his canonization.
Photo: Jordanville.org Also present at Jordanville over the weekend was Deacon Nectarios Yangson, the keeper of the Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which is itself a copy of Br. José’s wonderworking icon.
Br. José’s Montreal Icon disappeared after he was murdered in Athens in 1997. Ten years later, the Hawaiian icon began to stream, and has been carried all over the world for the consolation of the faithful. “Myrrh literally poured forth and covered the analogion” during the panikhida at Br. José’s grave on Saturday.
The Divine services were presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, who was making his first visit to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville since his election and enthronement as ROCOR’s new First Hierarch.
Met. Nikoloz serving in the monastery church. Photo: Jordanville.org
“The church on Sunday was packed, even more than on Pascha, with most of the pilgrims availing themselves of the Holy Mysteries. There was truly felt a grace-filled atmosphere, enabled by the Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God.”
After lunch on Sunday, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, D.C. sponsored a conference about Br. José’, after which another panikhida was served at his grave.
Monday also marked the name’s day of His Grace Bishop Luke of Syracuse, the monastery abbot. Vladyka Luke noted that it was his patron, St. Luke the Evangelist, who painted the original Iveron Icon, which is kept at Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos.
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