The feast of All Saints of Russia was first celebrated in the sixteenth century, but it soon fell into disuse, except by the Old Believers. It was revived at the Council of 1917-1918. Perhaps we would feel that this is a feast of “nationalistic pride,” for indeed, we celebrated the Feast of All Saints last Sunday, and all Christians, in all times and places, are called to holiness, to live in the grace of the Spirit, to work to bring all into union with God. However, perhaps it is also good to remind ourselves that people can be holy in all eras and cultures, and that there are so many saints walking among us in our own nation and times. In recent decades, many feast of the saints of a particular place or culture have been established – All Saints of Mt. Athos, All Saints of England, All Saints of Greece, All Saints of Carpatho-Russia, and so forth.
These feasts have all been established in the Orthodox Church and they commemorate only saints of the Orthodox Communion. However, it has been proposed that one step towards unity would be for us to recognize each other’s saints, to recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work in both our Churches, that the light of Christ in his holy ones shines upon us all, and that we can find God in all places and times.
Today, let us remember all Orthodox and Catholic Saints, and, indeed, any human person who has found God and in whom his saving grace resides.
Orthodox:
Alexander Hotovitzky, hieromartyr, Missionary of America
Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, Missionary (left the Catholic Church to return to Orthodoxy)
Herman of Alaska, first missionary to Alaska
Innocent of Alaska, missionary bishop to Alaska
Jacob Netsvetov, native of the Aleutian Islands who became a priest
John Kochurov, first hieromartyr in 1917
John Maximovitch, ROCOR bishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, wonderworker
Juvenaly of Alaska, Protomartyr of America
Nikolaj Velimirović, influential theological writer and a highly gifted orator, rector of St. Tikhon’s Seminary
Peter the Aleut, protomartyr of America
Raphael of Brooklyn, founder of the Antiochian Orthodox Mission in America
Tikhon of Moscow, was bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska, missionary, then Patriarch of Moscow
Varnava Nastić, the New Confessor, born in Gary, Indiana
Mardarije Uskoković, Serbian bishop of North America; founder of St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois
Sebastian Dabović, first American-born Orthodox priest
Catholic:
North American Martyrs
Saint Rene Goupil, a lay brother martyred in 1642 in New York State,
Saint Isaac Jogues, a priest,
Saint John de Lalande, a lay brother, martyred in 1646 in New York State,
Saint Anthony Daniel, a priest, martyred in Canada in 1648,
Saint John de Brebeuf,
Saint Charles Garnier,
Saint Noel Chabanel and
Saint Gabriel Lalemant, all priests, and all martyred in Canada in 1649.
Frances Xavier Cabrini, Religious
Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
John Neumann, Bishop
Rose Philippine Duchesne, Religious
Katharine Drexel, Religious
Théodore Guérin, Religious
Damien de Veuster, Priest
Marianne Cope, Religious
Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
Junípero Serra, Priest
Teresa of Calcutta (canonized 2016) was declared an honorary citizen of the United States in 1996, one year before her death.
It is recorded of St. Louis Bertrand (canonized 1671) that “in the isle of St. Thomas, the saint gained a new people to Christ, and new triumphs to the Church”.
St. Pedro Calungsod (canonized 2012) was martyred on Guam in 1672.
Bl. Stanley Rother, Priest-Martyr
Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos, Priest
Bl. Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, Religious
Bl. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago
Bl. Diego Luis de San Vitores, Priest and Martyr
Bl. Mary Frances Schervier (beatified 1974) resided briefly in the United States in 1863, and again in 1868.
Bl. Eduardo Farré and Bl. Lucas Tristany (beatified along with 496 other martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, 2007) were naturalized as American citizens during their lifetimes, and served as parish priests in the Diocese of Tucson.
What does it mean to be a saint? Our Lord said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). To be a saint, then, means to follow Jesus the Way, the true path to union with God and holiness. To be a saint is not a luxury for the few, but the necessity for all of us who want to know the truth, to live in Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls Peter and Andrew and John and James, and they IMMEDIATELY follow him. This call is given to us all. We have been meditating on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate – Rejoice and Exalt!
Pope names Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, as the Bishop of Ruthenian Eparchy of Parma
Over the last fifty-some days, we have celebrated the Paschal mystery – the central mystery of our faith, from our Lord’s crucifixion, resurrection, ascension to his sending the Holy Spirit on his followers. This Sunday, after all that has been proclaimed, we add a great “Amen!” “So be it!” This “Amen” will be great only if we make it more than just words but also actions. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples that they might be witnesses to the Paschal mystery – our Lord’s death and resurrection, and the Greek word for “witness” is “martyr.”
The St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Church community in New Haven welcomes Ostap Yednak, member of the Ukrainian Parliament (Verxovna Rada), who will speak on the current political, economic and security situation in Ukraine as well as the Presidential campaign currently underway.
Pentecost is the fiftieth day, “the last and greatest day of the feast.” In the New Testament, this story is told only in the Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 2:1-12). On this day, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the form, “as of fire” and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:3) From this event, some observations can be made: