Orthodox Churches

The Feast of St. Gerasimus at the Patriarchate

On Saturday March 4/17, 2018, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of St. Gerasimus of the Jordan at his Holy Monastery in the valley of Jordan on the west bank of the river near Jericho.

Russians make up majority of pilgrims to Mt. Athos

Russians make up 60% of pilgrims visiting the monasteries of Mt. Athos in Greece, reports Interfax-Tourism with reference to the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism and the Greek Ministry of Tourism.

“Besides beach vacations in the high summer season, Russian tourists actively visit Greek churches and holy sites as part of religious tourism. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Greece, 60% of pilgrims to the monasteries of Mt. Athos are citizens of Russia,” the statement reads.

1,800-mile, 4-month procession in honor of Royal Martyrs begins today

A cross procession in memory of the murder of the Royal Martyrs Tsar Nicholas II and his family began in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov today. The procession will wind its way through various Russian cities and holy sites, arriving in Ekaterinburg to celebrate the centenary of the family’s martyrdom, which took place on July 4/17, 1918, reports the official site of the city of Pskov.

Books by Patriarch Kirill to be presented in Paris

On March 18, 2018, a presentation of books by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, published by the Moscow Patriarchate Publishers, will take place at the amphitheatre of the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris.

During the event, which will be held with a blessing of Bishop Nestor of Korsun, new volumes of the Collected Works of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in the series ‘A Word to Those Who Are Near and Who Are Far’ (Series IV, v. 1, 2) will be presented. The volumes include the Primate’s homilies, speeches and addresses made during his trips over Russia and countries near and far abroad.

9 Romanian saints added to calendar of Russian Church

Meeting at Moscow’s Danilovsky Monastery last Wednesday, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved to officially add nine Romanian saints to its liturgical calendar, the site of the Moscow Patriarchate reports.

In a letter dated March 24, 2017, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania informed His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia about the glorification of a whole host of Romanian saints from 1950 to 2017.

Russian monastery collecting humanitarian aid for Syrians for Pascha

Holy Trinity Monastery in Ryzan, Russia has launched a humanitarian aid drive for their suffering brothers and sisters in Syria. The aid is to be sent in time for Pascha, according to the monastery’s website.

The collected goods will be sent to the Monastery of St. Thekla in Maaloula, where services are still conducted in the ancient Aramaic language, spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself during His earthly life. The charitable Paschal drive has been launched with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhalovsk.