On Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of April, the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, that of the Veneration of the Cross, coincided with the great feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. In every church, the "Fountainhead of our salvation" was celebrated, and the faithful worshipped the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
The feast was likewise triumphally celebrated in Our Lady of Pochaev Church in North Port, FL. On Saturday, the brethren adorned the Cross and icon of the Annunciation with flowers. Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk) served the All-Night Vigil with the Polyeleos. The rector, Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk) and Hierodeacon Paisius (Alexeevets) sang in the choir. The litia was served, and at the Polyeleos, the monastic trio sang the magnification "With the Archangel’s voice" by Bortniansky. After the Great Doxology, as appointed in the rubrics, the Cross was brought out into the center of the church, after which all were anointed with holy oil.
On Sunday morning, Fr. Stefan and Paisius celebrated Divine Liturgy. Fr. Arkadii heard the people’s confessions and sang in the choir. Many people communed at Liturgy. Upon completion of the service, the rector addressed the parishioners, greeting them all with the feast of the Annunciation and wishing the all to worthily and patiently bear their life’s cross, given to them by the Lord.
After Liturgy, a festal luncheon was served, lovingly prepared by the parishioners.