CHICAGO, IL [DOM] – The community of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, IL has announced the festivities surrounding their 130th anniversary as a community, this weekend, June 11 and June 12, 2022.
Pentecost weekend, the altar feast of the cathedral, has been slated as the time to honor this important moment in history. The services will be led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All-American and Canada. Other dignitaries that will be in attendance include His Grace Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the Midwest, and Archpriest Paul Jannakos, Chancellor of the Diocese of the Midwest.
Festivities will begin at 5:00 P.M. Saturday evening with the celebration of the All-Night Vigil for the feast of Pentecost. The parish is hosting a meal afterwards to further celebrate the parish milestone. On the following day, the Great and Holy Feast of Pentecost, His Beatitude will be greeted at 9:00 A.M. by Bishop Daniel and the Cathedral Clergy to start the Divine Liturgy and conclude with the Vespers of Pentecost. Participants of the festal services will later celebrate a Athena Greek Restaurant with local hierarchs and clergy. On Holy Spirit Monday, Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:30 A.M. with local hierarchs and clergy participating.
The cathedral community notably completed the restoration work of their historic temple and rectory building last year in anticipation of their 130th anniversary. Additionally, to commemorate this anniversary year, the community commissioned a kiot to be built for the copy of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God that is enshrined at the Diocesan Cathedral.
Holy Trinity Cathedral is Chicago’s oldest Orthodox community. St. Vladimir’s Church, predecessor of Holy Trinity
Cathedral, was dedicated on June 7, 1892, with the blessing of His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. A Russian Orthodox community in honor of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was in existence before that date, and Saint Alexis Toth would come from Minneapolis from time to time to conduct services. These were held at the home of Gregory Feciura on Elston Avenue. The congregation consisted of Russians, Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, and other Orthodox people. The first “permanent” priest assigned to St. Vladimir’s Church was Father Nicholas Grinkevich, who served from October 9, 1892, through December 12 of that year. He was followed by Hieromonk Ambrose Vretta, who remained at his post until 1895. The venerable Hieromartyr John Kochurov served first at St. Vladimir’s then at Holy Trinity from 1895 to 1907.
The Cathedral community continues to be a presence within their neighborhood with regular worship services throughout the week, serving weekly meals to the poor, and hosting community activities throughout the week.
