On Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th of September, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, paid a primatial visit to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, DC. His Eminence brought consolation to the parishioners of the cathedral not only by leading the solemn divine services, but also by bringing with him both the great holy treasure of ROCOR – the ancient Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" – and a reliquary containing a portion of the relics of the Holy Hierarch Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow.

St. John the Baptist parish was founded 76 years ago, in September 1949, by Archbishop John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai. (On July 2, 1994, Archbishop John was glorified as a Holy Hierarch.) While in Washington in 1949, the archbishop petitioned American authorities to provide for residence permits in the United States and other Western countries to his Chinese flock, quartered in an international refugee camp on Tubabao Island in the Philippines. He named the parish in honor of the feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, since it was on that feast day that he celebrated the first Liturgy in the newly created community. Parishioners revere St. John as their second Heavenly patron.

For nine years, parishioners gathered on Sundays for worship at Resurrection Chapel in the National Episcopal Cathedral in Washington. In 1956, the new congregation purchased a corner lot on 17th Street NW, in the center of the nation’s capital, and soon thereafter, construction of our temple began. For lack of material resources, after the first floor was completed, construction was suspended; divine services were conducted in that building for the next three decades.

In 1977, Archpriest Victor Potapov moved to Washington, DC., where he was invited to work for the government radio station "Voice of America." Over the next 30 years, he presented the program "Religion in Our Life" to listeners in Russia. He became the second priest in the parish, assistant to the now-reposed rector, Archimandrite Nicholas (Pekatoros; +1996).

By that time, the ROCOR Synod of Bishops had decided that the new church, representing ROCOR in the American capital, should present a classic example of Russian church architecture. The ever-memorable Old Rite Bishop Daniel (Alexandrow; +2010) was brought in to formulate the new design. He proposed a project that would be in the style of Muscovite churches of the 17th century. The new design was approved by the Synod and parishioners; soon thereafter, reconstruction of the new temple and the painting of its walls began.

Construction took several years. During that entire time, as needed, services were held in the neighboring parish hall, which was re-equipped as a church. In 1988, the Millennium of the Russian Orthodox Church, the church was consecrated by Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov; +2006), then-First Hierarch of ROCOR.

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On Saturday, September 13, numerous parishioners and pilgrims greeted Metropolitan Nicholas at 5:00 PM for the beginning of the All-night Vigil. The wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God was brought into the church to the singing of its troparion in Church Slavonic and English. The All-Night Vigil was also a bilingual service. Throughout the service, pilgrims came to confession in preparation for receiving Christ’s Holy Mysteries the following day.

The next day, the meeting of the First Hierarch and the Kursk Icon took place at 9:30 AM. Ten priests and six deacons served in a church filled to capacity. The atmosphere during the Sunday festal Liturgy was deeply touching. Throughout the service, worshippers approached the wonderworking icon and the relics of St. Tikhon, asking for help and salvation.

At the appropriate time during Liturgy, the young Deacon Andrew Allen was ordained to the priesthood. It was touching to see his father, Archpriest Christopher Allen (who serves in San Antonio, TX), lead him around the altar table. The newly ordained priest will continue serving in the cathedral as its fifth priest.

Following the Eucharistic Canon, another member of the parish, Subdeacon John Daily, was ordained to the diaconate. The newly ordained Deacon John will serve along with the five other deacons in the parish.

Before receiving their new clerical ranks, Frs. Andrew and John had already labored a great deal for the benefit of the community. It is the great hope of the parishioners and their fellow clergy that entrance into their new ranks will inspire them to serve God and the people with even greater diligence.

After Communion, Metropolitan Nicholas delivered a profound sermon on Christ’s parable of the wedding feast. Then a moleben prayer service and procession began. (Thanks be to God, the weather was excellent.) Afterward, the First Hierarch congratulated everyone with the feast and thanked the cathedral clergy for their salvific efforts. The Metropolitan then awarded Archpriest Ion Barbus, rector of Holy Transfiguration Church in Baltimore, MD, the Order of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign," 2nd class. Fr. Ion has served in that parish for over 15 years.

During the festal meal, Archpriest Peter Perekrestov, dean of San Francisco’s "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Cathedral, presented to those in attendance his remarkable new 30-minute film "The Fragrance of Holiness," about St. John of Shanghai. All watched the film about their parish’s founder very attentively. People were in no hurry to go home. They enjoyed fraternal fellowship with the clergy and with other parishioners, and finally began to disperse at 4:15 PM, after five hours of prayer and fellowship.

The next day, Metropolitan Nicholas met with lawyer Robert Amsterdam, who defends the interests of the canonical Ukrainian Church, headed by His Beatitude Onuphry, Metropolitan of Kiev & All Ukraine. At that meeting, there was discussion of issues related to the persecution of the clergy and parishioners of that Church by the Kievan authorities, and what measures could help the persecuted Church.

That same evening, Metropolitan Nicholas, visited Holy Assumption Church in Stafford, VA, with the Kursk Root Icon.

The next day, the First Hierarch left the nation’s capital and departed for New York City.

Glory to God for all things!

Archpriest Victor Potapov
September 15, 2025