Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States of America. It is celebrated on June 19th, which is the day in 1865 when enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom.

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the purpose of this Juneteenth Ecumenical Prayer Service is to pursue an active role in leading the effort to further missions through prayer, reconciliation, and relationships with other Christians dedicated to this effort. It is our responsibility as Orthodox Christians to lead our nation in the healing of the ills of racism, prejudice, bigotry, and the horrific history of slavery.

The service is based on an Akathist Service “To the Merciful Savior, Healer of the Wounds of American Slavery” written by an Orthodox Nun, Mother Katherine Weston, president of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black. This Akathist not only leads in the process of helping but also honors the saints of Africa, and American luminaries, the Holy ones who strove during the ills of Slavery in the Americas, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow Semi Slavery and Segregation.