Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Glorification of Saint Seraphim of Sarov
in the Western American Diocese

On August 2nd, the faithful of the Western American Diocese marked the hundredth anniversary of the glorification of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. By decree of Bishop Kyrill of Western America and San Francisco, the celebration of the feast of Saint Seraphim was moved from Friday, August 1st, to Saturday, August 2nd, so that all who desired could honor the memory of the great favorite of God. The commemoration of the holy Prophet Elijah was transferred to August 1st.

The divine services of the jubilee were celebrated in the Church of Saint Seraphim, in Monterey, 130 miles south of San Francisco. An old icon of Saint Seraphim, containing a portion of his relics, was brought to Monterey in time for the all-night vigil. Clergymen and laity, about five hundred strong, arrived for the celebration from all parts of the vast Diocese of Western America. Clergy from Denver, Seattle, Oregon, Los Angeles, San Francisco and its environs concelebrated. In buses rented especially for the occasion, parishioners of Holy Ascension church in Sacramento arrived, as did parishioners of the San Francisco cathedral.

The little parish of Saint Seraphim in Monterey, led by its rector, Archpriest George Kurtov, had diligently prepared, over the course of an entire year, to welcome the crowd of pilgrims and to organize everything necessary for the solemnity: a tent was erected for the banquet, a speaker system was set up in the church grounds, a commemorative booklet was published, hundreds of copies of the akathist hymn to the saint were printed to enable the faithful to chant it, a banquet was organized, and access to the city park in which the church is located was restricted for outside individuals.

All the festal divine services were beautifully sung by the jubilee choir, under the direction of Fr. George’s wife, Elena Georgievna Kurtova. Litia at the vigil service was performed under the open sky, at the entry of the church.

On Saturday, August 2nd, at 8:00 a.m., a service of supplication and the sanctification of water was performed; and afterwards, at 9:30, there followed the greeting of the bishop. About twenty priests concelebrated with Bishop Kyrill. The senior priest was Archimandrite Anastasy; the senior deacon was Protodeacon Pavel Bilibin of Seattle. The representative of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem also served on this day, in the capacity of guest. The hymns of the eucharistic canon were chanted by the entire congregation. Because of the large number of communicants, Holy Communion was distributed from three chalices.

After the Liturgy, there was a procession with a service of supplication. All the pilgrims received, as a memento of the feast, an icon of Saint Seraphim and biscuits [St. Seraphim often gave such biscuits to his visitors– ed.]. After the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Saint Seraphim sisterhood invited the clergy and pilgrims to a banquet. Everyone was accommodated either in the parish hall, under a roomy tent, or on the grass of the city park. During the meal the Priest Sergii Sveshnikov, rector of the Church of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, in the city of Mulino, Oregon, delivered a speech on the occasion of the jubilee.

At 4:00 p.m., all present chanted the akathist to Saint Seraphim under the open sky, after which the all-night vigil for Sunday was begun.

The wooden church in Monterey, the tall eucalyptus trees surrounding the church, the large number of children, the modesty of the church appointments, the communal chanting--all of this created a particular mood and a sense of the closeness of Saint Seraphim.

The clergy and faithful who had come for Saint Seraphim remarked upon the special joy and peace which reigned throughout the feast, and no one wanted to leave for their homes.

O venerable Seraphim our father, grant that we may preserve this joy and peace within our hearts!