In Shrines of Saint Petersburg
His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, who is in the irenic visit to the ROC, venerated shrines of the North Russian capital on 20 July 2013 accompanied by president of the Office of External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of Novospasky stavropegial monastery Bishop Sava of Voskresensk, rector of the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy Bishop Ambrose of Peterhof and dean of the Representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow Bishop Antonije of Moravica, dean of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belgrade protopresbyter Vitaly Tarasyev.
His Holiness visited the Saint Isaac’s Cathedral where he venerated miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Tikhvin” and also the Memorial Church of the Savior on Blood.
The Serbian delegation also visited the Monastery of Saint Alexander Nevsky where head of the Laura Bishop Nazarius of Kronstadt with brotherhood welcomed His Holiness. The high guests and the entourage venerated the relics of Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky and the icon of Mother of God “Milk-Giver”- a copy of her miraculous image which is in the monastery of Hilandar.
Bishop Nazarije held a welcome speech and granted Panagia with an image of the icon of the Nevskaya Mother of God “Quick to Hear”, created on the occasion of 300th anniversary of this monastery which is celebrated this year.
Later on, Patriarch Irinej and the delegation visited the Annunciation tomb of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and there they prayed for the repose of the souls of Metropolitan Vasilije of Skadar and the Littoral and Archbishop Vasilije of Pec and Serbia, who were buried there. The Patriarch also saw the Necropolis of the master artisan at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
In the evening of the same day, His Holiness visited the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Smolensk” and visited a tomb of Venerable Xenia of Saint Petersburg at the Smolensk cemetery.
Photo: deacon Aleksandar Sekulic; Moscow Patriarchate
