On Sunday, August 12/25, 2024, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada presided over the Rite of Consecration of Antimins, concelebrating with Bishop Luke of Syracuse. The Antimins (also known as “antimension”) is a rectangular cloth depicting the burial of our Lord Jesus Christ, on top of which the Holy Mysteries are consecrated. The Antimins contain relics of martyrs, in remembrance of the persecuted Church of ancient times, where Liturgy was often celebrated using a tomb of a martyr as an Altar table.
Without the antimins, the Divine Liturgy may not be celebrated. Thus, due to the overwhelming growth of new ROCOR parishes and missions throughout the United States and Canada, it became necessary to consecrate a great many antimensia to supply all of the new churches being opened and old ones that need to be replaced. The Monastery community was blessed with the unique opportunity to pray and witness the ancient rite of consecration of new antimensia.
The rite of consecrating antimins combines many aspects of the Divine services together. These include kneeling prayers reminiscent of the kneeling Vespers of Pentecost, and a procession throughout the Church with the relics of martyrs that will be sewn into the new antimensia, in imitation of the Great Entrance at Liturgy. After being brought into the Sanctuary, the relics are taken around the Altar table in a manner similar to the service of Ordination. Finally, the antiminsia are anointed with the same Holy Chrism with which the newly baptized are sealed. All of these actions are also reminiscent of the Great Consecration of a new church.
The Divine Liturgy is then served after the consecration of Antimins and upon the newly consecrated ones.
After the dismissal of the Liturgy, Bishop Luke presented Archbishop Gabriel with an icon of the New Hieromartyr Pachomius of Chernigov, which contained a portion of his relics. St Pachomius is a direct relative of Archbishop Gabriel, making him one of the New Martyrs of Russia in his Eminence’s family tree.
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