Hundreds of delegates and visitors attending the 20th All-American Council held at the Hilton Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, MD, were able to experience many of the Sacred Treasures of the Orthodox Church in America, housed at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA.
Presented by the Curator, Archpriest John J. Perich, The Exhibition featured numerous sacred and ecclesiastical items from over 225 years of the Church in North America, emphasizing the AAC theme, “Becoming Vessels of Grace”.
Featured in conjunction with this Council Exhibition was a new online publication of the Department of Christian Education of the OCA, entitled, “Luminaries – Those Who Walked in Christ’s Light”, highlighting many of the notable personages from our historical past, along with many of their personal items.
Sacred Relics and Treasures included the Chalice and Panagia of Saint Innocent of Alaska, Gospel of Saint Innocent with preface by Saint Jacob Netsvetov, the Mantia of Saint Patriarch Tikhon (Bellavin) from his enthronement, the vestments and Mitre of Saint Nicolai of Zhica, vestments of Saint Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, Saint John of San Francisco, Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, and many other items from Metropolitan Leonty, Archbishop Arseny, Archbishop John of Chicago, Archbishop Kirprian, Archbishop Gregory of Sitka and Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas.
According to the Curator, the Museum/Repository continues to expand its holdings, having undergone an extensive renovation through the work of the Monastery Abbot, Archimandrite Sergius and himself, as a labor of love.
Presently, the Museum now includes a Music Center, where the Iconographic Arts, Historical Vessels, and the rich Musical Heritage of the Church serve to enlighten and edify future generations of the Orthodox Church in America. The Museum/Repository continues to accept ecclesiastical and historical items from throughout North America. They also have special traveling exhibitions which have been provided to museums, churches and universities.
If you or your parish, diocese or cities are interested in hosting an exhibition, please contact the Curator, Archpriest John Perich, [FrJohn@StHermansOCA.org] or the Monastery Museum/Repository. Exhibitions have included lectures concerning the history of the Church, symposiums, and general religious and historical themes.
