CHICAGO, IL [DOM] – Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, IL, has announced the upcoming celebration of the Hieromartyr John of Chicago, October 30 and October 31. This is the annual celebration of the saint who labored throughout the diocese for over a decade, and even more specifically, built what would become the Diocesan Cathedral of Chicago and the Midwest, Holy Trinity Cathedral.
This year’s observance takes on significant meaning because for the first time, the relics of St. John of Chicago will be presented for veneration and enshrined in the Cathedral he built. Priest Alexander Koranda, the Dean of the historic Cathedral reflected, “this is an incredible moment for our Cathedral and Orthodox Christians throughout Chicago as it is the first time that St. John’s holy remains will return to Chicago and permanently be available for veneration.” The local saint is revered by Orthodox Christians in Chicago, and throughout America for his tireless work, and for building the first Orthodox church in Chicago.
After the martyrdom of St. John in October of 1917, the precise day in which the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Priest were served is unclear, however it is clear that this occurred in the St. Catherine Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo, where the saint was assigned. After the funeral services, the body of Fr. John Kochurov was interred below St. Catherine Cathedral.
In the 1930s, the cathedral was destroyed and was not rebuilt until 2006 and consecrated in 2010. In 2006, during the excavation of the foundation of the cathedral which had been blown up by the Bolsheviks, the relics of the Holy Martyr John Kochurov were believed to be acquired. Anthropological studies were to be carried out at the Institute of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the assistance of forensic experts from the Central Internal Affairs Directorate in Saint Petersburg and the region. According to the Dean of Tsarskoye Selo district, the rector of Saint Sophia Sobor, Archpriest Gennady Zverev, “when the cathedral exploded, the skull of Saint John was fragmented into several parts.”
A portion of the relics were promised to His Eminence Archbishop Job (Osacky) at the canonization of St. John in 1994 if they were discovered. On a pilgrimage to Tikhvin, Russia in 2016, His Eminence Archbishop Paul (Gassios) and his delegation, visited St. Catherine Cathedral and inquired about the relics of the Chicago saint to bring to the Cathedral. At that time the relics were not being distributed as they were still being verified that the remains were indeed St. John’s.
This past summer, for the 20th anniversary of the return of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel traveled with a delegation to Tikhvin, Russia, and during that celebration had the opportunity to speak with His Eminence Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, who gave a blessing for a portion of the relics to be taken back to the Cathedral in Chicago. The delegation was received at St. Catherine’s and took the opportunity to pray and venerated the relics of St. John. A portion of the relics were given to Archbishop Daniel for the Cathedral at that time.
“We know and can even feel the presence of St. John here at the Cathedral, but having him physically present, and having his bones – the bones that he offered in martyrdom to Christ – will leave a profound effect on those who pray at this holy temple,” added Fr. Alexander.
There will also be a unique opportunity for those gathered to donate to the permanent reliquary that will be placed before the icon of St. John in the Cathedral. “We wanted to wait to acquire the reliquary so that people had a chance to support this special and one time project. Opportunities like this do not come often and it gives people the chance to engage in this moment in history and offer something back to God and His saints.”
The Cathedral invites clergy and faithful to attend the feast of St. John of Chicago starting with Vigil at 6:00 p.m. on October 30. At this service, the relics will be processed to the center of the Cathedral for veneration. The Hierarchical Liturgy will be served the following day on October 31, at 9:30 a.m.
