2012: Over 110,000 Theophany bathers in Moscow
23. January 2012 - 10:10
On the night of January 18–19, the feast of the Theophany, the yearly mass immersion in the blessed waters of Moscow went by without incident.
Solemn services including the Great Blessing of the waters took place in 111 active Orthodox churches and monasteries in Russia’s capital city, and water was distributed to the faithful. According to agencies participating in security, there were 30,000 more bathers than last year. 2011 saw around 88,000 people immerse themselves in the waters on the feast celebrating the Baptism of the Lord.
Relics of Holy Martyrs Momisici in Australia and Fiji
18. January 2012 - 15:08
Particles of the martyrs of Christ of our freedom-loving and Christ-loving kin, were generously donated by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral to the Metropolitanate of Australia-New Zealand. During the consecration of newly-built churches, particles of these relics of the martyrs were built in Holy Tables of Serbian churches of the Dormition of Most Holy Theotokos on the Golden Coast and St. Sava in Darwin, but now they went farther from Australia and the Fifth continent.
Few weeks ago, the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church gifted particles of the relics also to the Metropolitanate of New Zealand of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,respectively to His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of New Zealand who now used them in consecration of the churches of his misionary parishes in Fiji or. church of St. Paraskeva in Sabeth and in the monastery church of the Dormition of Most Holy Theotokos in Saveni.
Source: Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand
Orthodox Christians in Seychelles celebrate the birth of Christ
17. January 2012 - 14:15
The Orthodox faithful in Seychelles celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on Saturday January 7th in a joyful Divine Liturgy, attended by about 70 believers.
Faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas in different countries of the world
17. January 2012 - 12:01
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Christmas night at the Cathedral of the Trinity of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. Archimandrite Isidor (Minaeyv), head of the Mission, officiated. Praying were staff members of the Embassy of Belarus and pilgrims. After the Liturgy, guests and parishioners were invited to festive repast, website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission reports.
10th anniversary of Metropolitan Hilarion’s episcopal consecration marked by grand divine service
16. January 2012 - 13:20
On January the 14, 2012, when the Church celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord and the commemoration day of St. Basil the Great, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, marked the 10th anniversary of his the episcopal consecration by leading the festive Divine Liturgy at the church of Our Lady the Joy to All the Afflicted-in-Bolshaya Ordynka in Moscow.
Among his concelebrants were guests from Local Churches including the Patriarchate of Georgia, Greek Orthodox Church, Polish Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands of Slovakia, as well as Moscow representatives of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Bulgaria, the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and Georgia. He was also assisted by church officials in holy orders.
