Sermon at the Burial of Archbishop PETER (Loukianoff)
Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Eastern America and New York
Nov. 5/Nov. 18, 2024
Holy Trinity Monastery
Earlier this year, we bid farewell to our Protodeacon Joseph Jarostchuk, and I commented on the fact that, if we were to count how many times he walked through these royal doors, it could very well be into the thousands – exclaiming “Let us pray to the Lord”, “In peace, let us pray to the Lord”, “Wisdom, aright!”, and so on and so on. Archbishop Peter also walked through these royal doors many times. He walked through the royal doors of the churches in his diocese of Chicago and Mid-America, proclaiming the Gospel of Our Lord, showing the beauty of the services, and bringing many to salvation. And many of us here, thanks to Archbishop Peter, now also walk through these royal doors, and the royal doors of our parishes. We have here hierarchs, rectors, assistant priests, protodeacons, deacons, and subdeacons, who now also walk through the royal doors, remembering the lessons that Archbishop Peter gave to us – first, as a seminary professor here, then as a monastic, as a hierodeacon, priest-monk, archimandrite, and later, hierarch. And for this, we thank him, and we will pray for him, and continue to walk through the royal doors, guiding the future generation of clergy so that they, too, can walk through these royal doors. It is so important to have that continuation!
Being the head of the Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem for just over one year, Vladyka Peter also gave us many historical accounts of life in Jerusalem, life at our convents, and visitations to the Lord’s tomb. Over the years, we know, he also helped Bishop Laurus, later Archbishop and Metropolitan, to gather pilgrims to visit the holy sites. For all these things, we give thanks to our beloved archpastor, and we have to continue these wonderful things for our salvation, to bring joy to each other, and to help others see the joy in the Lord. For all these things, we thank our dear Vladyka, and we bid him farewell, having this bittersweetness knowing that he is not with us on the earth, but is rejoicing with the angels, and is watching over us. Amen.