Visit of the Relics of St. Vladimir

These videos of some of the music from this past weekend's vigil were posted on YouTube. The relics of St. Vladimir made their only stop in the US at our seminary; I was blessed to sing the responses with two chorales of my brother seminarians, one made of us Vladimites, and another of visiting Tikhonaires (in my opinion, we were outsung by the good folks from S. Canaan, but God was glorified regardless).





The following pictures were taken by Tatiana Hoff (Used w/permission; click to enlarge)

Hope (and Papi, in the background) waiting outside w/the seminary community for the arrival of the relics.

Frs. Chad Hatfield and John Behr receive the relics.

Procession w/relics.

Programs for the Molieben and Akathist Hymn, beautifully typeset by our resident choir director, Hierodeacon Philip.

Inside 3 Hierarchs Chapel, together w/icons of Ss. Vladimir and Philip, the latter of whom serves as a

liturgical reminder of the Nativity Fast, begun today.

The resident clergy who intoned the kontakia and ikoi of the akathist.

A censing of the relics and the icons.

"O Holy Prince Vladimir / You were like a merchant in search of fine pearls / By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith / You found Christ, the Priceless Pearl / He appointed you to be another Paul / Washing away in baptism your spiritual and physical blindness / We celebrate your memory / Asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians of Russia / And for us, your spiritual children." (Troparion of St. Vladimir)