Feast day of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles, the representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow

On the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles in the church of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is the representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow, with the blessing of Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia, the DivineLiturgy was served by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for external church relations and the permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. 

Among his concelebrants were Bishop Anthony of Moravica, representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Russia, Archpriest Alexy Yuschenko, representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, Rev. Dmitry Ageyev, assistant to the DECR chairman, and Rev. Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations, as well as the priesthood of the Sts. Peter and Paul church.

The service was attended by Serbian Ambassador to Russia, Ms Jelica Kurjak, Mr Zeljko Janjetovic, Bosnian Ambassador to Russia, as well as other diplomatic representatives and friends of the Serbian people.

After the liturgy Bishop Anthony and Metropolitan Hilarion exchanged speeches. Metropolitan Hilarion said in particular that during his visit to Kosovo some time ago, he saw the suffering of the Serbs who were still there and the places vacated by Serbs with their churches ruined and defiled. ‘We prayed and will continue to pray for the Serbian land and the Serbian Church', he said.

The church was to small to receives all believers who came to pray together to Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles and to share spiritual joy.

During a festive repast at the parish house, the rewarding of builders and restorers of the Church of Sts Peter and Paul-at-the-Yauza took place.