70th Anniversary of the Hermitage of the Holy Protection in Buena Vista, NJ
October 15, 2023On Saturday, October 14, 2023, the feast of the Holy Protection of the Mother of God, Fr. Alexander Belya, Rector of St. John the Forerunner Cathedral in Brooklyn, organized a pilgrimage to the Skete of the Holy Protection in Buena Vista (Novaya Kuban Village), NJ, to celebrate its 70th Anniversary.
The Brooklyn pilgrims began the two-hour ride to the monastery at 7 AM, listening to prayers and singing of the hymns to the Holy Theotokos. Abbot Tikhon Gaifudinov, Rector of the Hermitage, welcomed the visitors led by Archpriest Alexander, Fr. Petr Prokoptsov, and Protodeacon George Hero. He blessed the group and gave them a brief tour of the monastery’s grounds, which include a historic cemetery founded by Kuban Cossacks. The pilgrims from Brooklyn were happy to see among other guests Archpriest Edward Chervinsky, presently serving at the Hermitage, and Archpriest Rostislav Zadorozhnyy, Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Red Bank, NJ.
With the blessing of Archimandrite Alexander, the Vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate, Archpriest Alexander led the Divine Liturgy with the clergy accompanied by the singing of the choir. The guests and parishioners of the Skete took Holy Communion, which was followed by a joyous service of thanksgiving commemorating the 70th anniversary of the monastery. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Archpriest Alexander Belya gave a sermon on the holiday noting the historical place of the monastery and Kuban Cossacks, its founders, their faith, prayers and works. He mentioned the difficult path of the monastery: its decline and revival. Hegumen Tikhon felt in his heart the calling and intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, and joyfully undertook to fulfill the blessing of his mentor, Metropolitan Hilarion, to revive the monastery. After the service, a Procession outside the church was held in order to consecrate new icons and the memorial bas-relief to the late Metropolitan Hilarion, who was instrumental in the revival of the Hermitage. Hegumen Tikhon gave a touching speech to honor the memory of the late First Hierarch and explained the symbolism of the new monument. Despite a forecast of heavy rain from the morning, the weather remained dry until the end of the ceremony. Many felt that the Holy Theotokos spread her protective veil over her monastery until the outdoor service was completed.
The Sisterhood of the Hermitage, led by Tatiana, prepared little gifts for all the guests and invited everyone downstairs for the festal dinner. The meal was abundant with delicious traditional Slavic food. Many kind words were said about the Holiday, the Hermitage and its 70th Anniversary, all who contributed to its creation and revival. The traditional repast reminded everyone of the Kuban Cossack founders of the monastery. Many of them and their family members rest in the adjacent cemetery, which is unique among Orthodox Christian cemeteries in the United States and the cheapest one. Hegumen Tikhon and his parishioners maintain it with great care.
The charming tunes from the monastery’s bell tower announced the start of the service and the following procession with a spiritual exaltation that crowned the feast. Nobody wanted to leave, yet it was time to go back to Brooklyn to be on time for Sunday Vigil.
