Rocky Mountain Deanery Hosts St. Anna Icon

On Thursday and Friday, Nov 29 and 30, 2012, the clergy of the Rocky Mountain deanery gathered at St Andrew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Delta, Colorado for a deanery meeting, and to concelebrate the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle.
 
Joining us, specific to the Deanery Meeting, was Fr Sergios, abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery, who presented a two-part reflection on the Mystery of the Divine Liturgy. Fr. Sergios brought with him the myrrh-streaming icon of St Anna, Foremother of God, and the epitrachelion of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Both the icon and stole were accompanied by corresponding relics of the saint. The deanery meeting was a time of reflection, sharing, “sharpening”, and encouragement, “our best ever!” stated one participant; surely referencing not only the ever-deepening sense of brotherhood, but also by virtue of the grace of the saints present with us.
 
Driving to Delta, several of us noted the disconcerting lack of snow atop the continental divide, and extremely low water levels in the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Lack of water in the Colorado Rockies threatens water supplies for much of the diocese. In light of this, immediately following Liturgy on Friday morning, the parish and clergy processed around the church with the wonder-working Icon, beseeching our Lord to send rain on our parched western lands. This was done in reference to a Romanian account of the Foremother of God alleviating a drought on behalf those who interceded before her icon.

In all, the icon visited five parishes within our deanery. Each service was truly a “mini-Pascha” for the host parish, complete with paschal procession. Much grace was tangibly present for all the faithful: our thirsty souls were quenched even as we sought rains upon the land, and blessed we were with gentle rains and snow in the mountains the following day!