On Bright Friday, April 17, a youth choir organized by St. Vladimir Youth Association held a concert at St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ. The concert was dedicated to the feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ (Pascha), and organized as part of the millennial celebrations of the repose of the Baptizer of Rus’ – the Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir.
St. Vladimir Youth Association was organized in New York for the jubilee "Year of St. Vladimir," and has become a successor to the renowned "St. Vladimir’s Youth Circles," whose organizer was the founder of the Eastern American Diocese, Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko).
"It the 1950s, a tradition was begun in Jackson: the youth would gather together with the goal of preserving their Orthodox Faith and the culture of our ancestors. St. Vladimir’s Youth Circles were founded in every parish," explains the Youth Association’s chairman, Archpriest Andrei Sommer. "St. Vladimir Youth Association continues the traditions of these Youth Circles in uniting young people in the hopes of preserving their Orthodox Faith and Russian culture. This concert and the singing of the Divine Liturgy by the youth choir on Bright Saturday have laid the foundation for the St. Vladimir Youth Association’s activities within the framework of the millennium of the repose of the Enlightener of Rus’."
"In these Paschal days, the concert united us and brought us great joy," says Adrian Fekula, director of the youth choir. "Before putting this evening together, we had never sung together as a single choir, but had only known one another from camp, from St. Herman Youth Conferences, and from other youth events. The majority of our members sing in parishes on Long Island, but there are also those who came from other places in New York State, from New Jersey and Connecticut. We gathered thrice during Great Lent at the Synodal Headquarters for rehearsals. We put together a repertoire appropriate for Pascha and for the jubilee of Great Prince Vladimir: works by renowned church composers M. Konstantinov, P. Chesnkov, and others. Some of the pieces were sung in English, but most were performed in Slavonic."
Just 23 years old, Adrian is already an accomplished choir director. He began directing in his home parish in Glen Cove when he was only 17 years old, taking a short break during his college studies on the West Coast.
His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, who himself only recently received a blessing to assume leadership over the youth movement on the East Coast, greeted the singers and audience: "Sing praises to our God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises, says the Psalmist. And truly, on these Paschal days we feel and understand these words all the more clearly. At the divine services of Bright Week, there are no readings, save for the exclamations of the bishop, priest, and deacon. All of the verses are sung, the soul exults, and the faithful rejoice. And today we rejoice especially, because in these celebratory days of the jubilee year we were treated to this remarkable concert, dedicated to the enlightener and baptizer of Rus’, Prince Vladimir. The Memorial Church in Jackson was built thanks to donations from Orthodox Christians in Australia and Europe, and for more than 30 years has been an Orthodox beacon for the faithful.
"I vividly recall the words of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus, who said that Archbishops Vitaly (Maximenko) and Nikon (Rklitsky), who lie at rest here, poured their whole hearts into this church," added Bishop Nicholas. "Then the Russian people gathered around it, the Russian youth gathered here. And now the time has come for us to likewise pour our hearts into this holy undertaking, ensuring that the church flourishes and glorifies Prince Vladimir and the Lord God."
Upon conclusion of the concert, Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov (pastor emeritus of St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ), once an active participant in the St. Vladimir ‘s Youth Circles, reminded the young people about the beginnings of this important work. Foreseeing the importance of preserving the Faith and culture far from their historic homeland, as well as the unification of a multitude of Russians who had come to the U.S. from Europe and China, Archbishop Vitaly set about organizing a larger youth movement, part of which was embodied in the St. Vladimir’s Youth Circles. One of the first priorities of the Youth Circles was to travel parish-to-parish, with the goal of organizing the youth and developing within them an interest toward the divine services. A choral society was founded within the framework of the St. Vladimir’s Circles, as well, which at various times comprised up to 80 young singers.
On Bright Saturday, April 18, the youth choir sang Matins, the Hours, the Greeting of the Bishop, and the festal Divine Liturgy. Matins was served by Eastern American Diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov. Celebrating the Liturgy was Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, co-served by Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk (Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA), and clerics of the Eastern American Diocese and Patriarchal Parishes: Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov, Archpriest Roman Star (rector of St. Innocent of Irkutsk Church in Redford, MI), Archpriest Serge Lukianov, Archpriest George Kallaur (rector of the Church of our Lady "Unexpected Joy" on Staten Island, NY), Archpriest Andrei Sommer (senior priest of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City), Archpriest Paul Ivanov (rector of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Brooklyn, NY), Priest Leonid Goferman (rector of Holy Protection Church in New Brunswick, NJ), Priest Gregory Winsky (cleric of St. Michael Church in Philadelphia, PA), Priest Seraphim Chemodakov (cleric of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell), Priest Serge Ledkovsky (deputy rector of St. Vladimir Memorial Church), Protodeacon Vadim Gan (cleric of the Synodal Cathedral), Protodeacon Leonid Roschko and Deacon Paul Drozdowski (clerics of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral), and Deacon Mark Rashkov (cleric of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City).
Upon completion of the Liturgy, Bishop Nicholas congratulated the young singers, and greeted all those who had gathered in church with words very important for every Russian Orthodox Christian to hear: "We have a shared beginning, and we have placed at the very head of our service shared prayer, shared labors, mutual understanding, and a united flock. During Great Lent, we and our clergy and faithful prayed together several times both in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign and in St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral, and it is providential that in this jubilee year we might serve together in this Memorial Church, dedicated to Great Prince Vladimir – our godfather and the enlightener of Rus’."
Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk reiterated the significance for all of us of our common prayer, which fortifies our faith and unity. His Grace especially greeted the senior priest of the Synodal Cathedral and the vice chairman of the Synodal Youth Department of the Russian Church Abroad, Archpriest Andrei Sommer, and with the blessing of His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, awarded him the Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow & Kolomna, III Class, in honor of his 50th birthday and in recognition for his many years of missionary labors. The bishops congratulated Fr. Andrei on receiving the distinguished Patriarchal award, and wished him God’s aid in his further service.
Fr. Serge Ledkovsky, deputy rector of the Memory Church, thanked the hierarchs, clergy, and worshipers, and noted the particular purpose of St. Vladimir Memorial Church for the faithful of the Russian Diaspora – to save through action. "It is worth noting that on the consecration day of St. Vladimir Memorial Church, the choir was directed by the father of the current youth choir director – Peter A. Fekula, currently the longtime director of the Hierarchal Choir in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City," remarked Fr. Serge.
The festivities concluded with a festal luncheon in the parish hall, during which parishioners spent much time interacting with one another and the visiting clergy.
