Russian Version
Orthodox Tours
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land – 2010September 19, 1999
Dear Father Andrey and faithful parishioners!
With great joy, I greet all of you on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Holy Resurrection Church. A parish anniversary is, indeed, a time to celebrate and to give thanks. fellowship, together with our necessary recommitment to living the Gospel, makes up a great part of this celebration and thanksgiving.
There is another aspect to this celebration, which also affects us today. anniversaries always leads us to reflect on the past. We must be careful that this time of reflection is spiritually fruitful, so that it may guide us, both now and in the future.
Our Church in America is currently preparing to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This occasion, the coming to the close of the second Christian millennium, is causing anxiety among many people. There are many who worry what will happen when the calendar turns from December 31, 1999, to January 1, 2000. As Christians, however, we must not be afraid of the future. If the Lord gives us consolations, we must rejoice. If He gives us burdens to bear, we must also rejoice, knowing that He will certainly give us also the strength to bear those burdens.
Therefore, as we celebrate the anniversary of this parish’s founding, let put away all our fears. As Orthodox Christian people, as a parish, and as the local Church in North America, we must recommit ourselves to being fearless witnesses of the Good News, the saving Gospel of Christ. Let us greet the anniversary of our parish with joy and let us take advantage of the opportunity for authentic Christian witness that the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of our Lord’s birth provides.
May the Lord God pour out his rich blessings upon the faithful people of Holy Resurrection Church.
May He guide us all to His Heavenly Kingdom.
With love in Christ, + THEJODOSIUS,
Archbishop of Washington,
Metropolitan of All America and Canada,
Primate, Orthodox Church in America
