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Knowing that monasticism is indispensable for the healthy flourishing of a local Orthodox Church, the young Hieromonk Arseny, who arrived in America in 1902, conceived the idea of starting a [[monastery]] in America. In his vision, the monastery would serve as a "mother house" for monastics who were engaged in mission work in various places in North America; they could return periodically for spiritual rejuvenation. Through Fr. Arseny's dedicated efforts, aided by Archbishop Tikhon's, suitable land was found: the Wagner farm in western Wayne County, near the village of South Canaan. On [[June 26]], 1905, the land for the new monastery was purchased for $2,580 by Archbishop [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]] and Hieromonk Arseny -- —the founders of St. Tikhon's Monastery. An orphanage was started at the same time.

The first Pilgrimage to St. Tikhon's Monastery opened on [[July 29]], 1905. On July 31 the grounds were dedicated by Bishop (now Saint)[[Raphael of Brooklyn|Raphael (Hawaweeny)]], and on that day, the first [[Divine Liturgy]] was served, in an open place on a knoll where the monastery church now stands. A cross was planted on the spot. Saint Raphael was the chief celebrant; among the [[concelebration|concelebrating ]] clergy was Fr. [[Alexander Hotovitsky]] and very likely Fr. [[John Kochurov]] as well. In later years these two priests would be martyred in Russia, being formally glorified as [[saint]]s in 1994. The services that day were in honor of St. [[Tikhon of Zadonsk]], who was Archbishop [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]]'s patron saint and partly for that reason, he was selected as the new monastery's [[patron saint]].

The official opening and consecration of the monastery took place on [[May 30]], 1906. This occasion was the first of the annual Memorial Day pilgrimages. At the opening festivities gifts from [[Mount Athos]] arrived: an [[icon]] of the [[Theotokos]] "[[She Who Is Quick To Hear]]," and one of St. [[Panteleimon]]; both icons are still cherished by the monastery community. Hundreds of pilgrims from local parishes and from New York carried the icons in a cross-procession beginning at Mayfield. Travelling by train, the assembly was joined at Carbondale by Mitred Archpriest (Saint) [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre|Alexis Toth]]. The pilgrims -- —whose numbers had greatly exceeded expectations, so that two chartered trains, with twenty coaches filled to capacity -- —detrained in the forest near the monastery and the church hymns were sung as the procession, with the holy icons, advanced through the woods. After some eighty minutes, the pilgrims caught sight of a blue cupola with a three-barred cross, in the midst of a deep forest -- the monastery.