This year a rare liturgical coincidence occurred. The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, March 25/April 7, coincided with the Week of the Veneration of the Cross in Great Lent. The services of both feastdays were combined according to the instructions of the liturgical typicon. In the evening service the polyeleos to the Mother of God was served with the singing of the wondrous hymn “The Voice of the Archangel” and at the end of the service the Life-Giving Cross was solemnly carried out with the singing of “To Thy Cross”.
The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) led the service at the Gethsemane convent of St. Mary Magdalene. At the all-night vigil and at the Divine Liturgy, the sisters of the convent, led by the abbess of the monastery, Mother Elizabeth (Smelic), prayed. Hieromonks Theodore (Kirike), Misail (Minin), Isychius (Bashirov), Priest Roman Gultyaev with Hierodeacon Amphilochius (Mazur) co-served with the head of the Mission.
The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) led the service at the Gethsemane convent of St. Mary Magdalene. At the all-night vigil and at the Divine Liturgy, the sisters of the convent, led by the abbess of the monastery, Mother Elizabeth (Smelic), prayed. Hieromonks Theodore (Kirike), Misail (Minin), Isychius (Bashirov), Priest Roman Gultyaev with Hierodeacon Amphilochius (Mazur) co-served with the head of the Mission.
