Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem venerates the shrines of Valamo Monastery’s Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration

On May 28, 2013, upon his arrival at the Valamo Monastery, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine, who is on an official visit to the Russian Orthodox Church, and his delegation visited the Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration. The monastery brethren met His Beatitude to the sound of bells.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem venerated the shrines of the cathedral: the relics of Ss Sergius and Herman the Miracle-workers of Valamo and founders of the monastery, the Valamo Icon of Our Lady, and the relics of St Antipas of Valamo.

In response to the warm words of welcome expressed by Bishop Pankraty of Troitsk, abbot of the monastery, His Holiness Theophilos said that it was the grace of the Holy Sepulchre that brought him and his delegation to the Russian land sanctified by the blood of thousands of Russian martyrs.

Then the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem blessed the faithful and went up to the upper Church of the Transfiguration to venerate the patronal icon of the Saviour and the icon of Our Lady of Smolensk. His delegation sang in Greek the Troparion of the Transfiguration and the Litany of Fervent Supplication for peace and prosperity to all the Orthodox believers in the world.

Source: mospat.ru