Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland, November 20, 2024
The relics of St. John. Photo: cerkiew.pl
From November 9-12, 2024, at the invitation of the Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God in the village of a portion of the relics of St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonderworker, were hosted in Poland.
The relics of the saint, known as the “modern St. Nicholas the Wonderworker” for his selfless care for others, could be venerated in the Orthodox churches of Podlasie: in Bielsk Podlaski, Białystok, the monasteries in Supraśl and Zwierki, and in Hajnówka, reports cerkiew.pl.
Photo: cerkiew.pl
After the services, there were also screenings of a film about St. John, entitled “The Aroma of Holiness,” by Archpriest Peter Perekrestov, a cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s cathedral in San Francisco that is home to St. John’s relics.
The film outlined the turbulent events of the first half of the 20th century that influenced the life of St. John, presented his figure, fragments of homilies, and showcased photographs and unique visual recordings of the saint from the 1950s and 1960s.
Fr. Peter Perekrestov. Photo: cerkiew.pl
Fr. Peter, the film’s creator, was also the guardian of the holy relics during their pilgrimage through Podlasie. During meetings after the film screenings, he shared with viewers his personal knowledge of St. John, as well as about the life of the Orthodox Church in America, the essence of Orthodox spirituality, and the spiritual and social problems experienced by the modern world.
He also spoke about the circumstances of the uncovering of the relics of St. John in 1993, which preceded his canonization in 1994, in which Fr. Peter directly participated. He mentioned miracles of healing from cancer, infertility, and help with various problems that occur at St. John’s reliquary in modern times.
A portion of St. John’s relics was gifted to the Holy Spirit Church in Białystok.
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