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Blessing of water
Assumption of the Virgin Church was the host of this year’s GreatBlessing of the Waters in Philadelphia. This year, we blessed the
Delaware River from the deck of four-masted sailing ship
“Moshulu” (largest sailing ship still afloat!) which is now a
restaurant.
His Grace, TIKHON, Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania celebrated, with Archpriest Vincent Saverino (Saint Michael’s Church, Moscow Patriarchate), Archpriest John Bohush (Saint Nicholas’ Church) and Archpriest John Udics, Dean of the Philadelphia Deanery and Secretary of the Philadelphia Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood, and Protodeacon Gregory Moser (Saint Mark’s Church, Wrightstown). Also present were Archpriest Theodore Heckman (Saint Mark’s), Priest Victor Gorodenchuk (Dean of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral), Subdeacon Gregory Hatrak and Reader Larry Bonczar (Saint John Chrysostom Church). We were honored also by the presence of Bishop Paul Hewett (Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Holy Cross and Rector of the Church of the Transfiguration in Phoenixville). The Choir of Saint Nicholas’ Church, under the direction of Mr Matthew Bohush, lead the fifty faithful assembled in singing the responses.
Parishioners from Saint John Chrysostom Church, Philadelphia, the
Church of Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia), Saint Nicholas’ Church (Serbian Patriarchate) and members of the Philadelphia area Orthodox Christian Fellowship and other parishes in our area were in attendance, along with some of the ship/restaurant’s staff.
The skies were blue and the white clouds raced across the sky, the
wind was chilling, but the upper deck of the ship was heated and the
space was very comfortable. The singing was heartfelt, the service
moved along, we blessed crosses made of ice and threw them into the river, we blessed the "Moshulu" and prayed for her owners and staff, and all present drank of the blessed spring water before we added it to the river as well.
(15 images)
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