Metropolitan Hilarion visits Vatopedi Monastery and Russian Xilourgou Skete
17. March 2015 - 16:34
In the evening of March 11, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, who was visiting Mount Athos with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, arrived in the Vatopedi Monastery. During Grand Compline, Metropolitan Hilarion was praying together with the brethren of the monastery and pilgrims. After the evening service the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church met with Archimandrite Ephraim, father superior of the abode.
The Patriarch of Romania inaugurated the social canteen of Cernica Monastery
17. March 2015 - 12:31
On 14 March 2015, a new social canteen of the Archdiocese of Bucharest was inaugurated at Cernica Monastery, county of Ilfov. “Metropolitan Nifon” canteen was blessed by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
To end with the blessing service, the Patriarch of Romania showed that this work was the result of a good cooperation and collaboration: “This canteen was made mostly with donations, as well as with a 333,350 lei loan on behalf of the Eparchial Centre of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. Thus, this is a co-responsible work and this is the result. Good results are based on consulting and cooperation. It is an example of saving old dilapidated houses, of renewing, consolidating them and using their attic space for social-charitable and cultural activities. The leadership of the Social-Cultural Centre of “Saint Hierarch Calinic” organised all these meals and agapes, and accommodations too as a way of aid, so that the poor and hungry were blessed by God by the good care of the Church.
Patriarch John X of Antioch thanks the Russian Orthodox Church for hospitality
17. March 2015 - 12:26
His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Great Antioch and All the East, sent a letter to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, expressing gratitude for brotherly Christian love and Abraham’s hospitality according him during his visit to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Among the highlights of Patriarch John’ visit was the prize presented to him by the International Public Foundation of the Unity of Orthodox Nations.
In his letter, Patriarch John says that his visit, which took place from February 18 to 22, 2015, was a new testimony of traditional fraternal and sincere relations that have bound the Patriarchates of Antioch and Moscow for centuries.
Moscow’s landmark 16th century Novodevichy Convent on fire
16. March 2015 - 10:21
Emergency crews have extinguished a fire that raged for three hours at Moscow’s iconic Novodevichy (New Maiden) Convent. The blaze was concentrated on scaffolds surrounding the convent’s bell tower. Authorities are currently estimating the damage.
The fire was reported at 22:41 local time. Firefighters arrived four minutes after receiving the emergency call.
Fire in bell tower of Nizhny Novgorod cathedral extinguished
16. March 2015 - 10:00
The fire in the bell tower of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Nizhny Novgorod has been extinguished, the regional branch of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said in a press release.
“The open fire was extinguished at 12:31 p.m. No one was killed or injured,” it said.
The city’s emergency services were alerted about the fire at 11:42 a.m. Moscow time. The first firefighters who arrived at the site observed plumes of smoke billowing from the third floor of the building.
