The day of the Ascension of the Lord, May 16/29, was marked by solemn divine services in the Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives.
The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Metropolitan Nicholas, led the services in concelebration with Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany, who arrived in the Holy Land with a pilgrimage group. Vladyka Nicholas arrived in Jerusalem for a pastoral visit on Tuesday, May 27.
The heads of both Russian Ecclesiastical Missions, archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) and archimandrite Vassian (Zmeev) along with clergy from both Missions and pilgrims in cleric orders also served with the bishops.
During the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas elevated the newly appointed abbess of the monastery to the rank of Abbess. At the small entrance, the deacon of the REM, Hierodeacon Amphilochius, proclaimed the decree of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on the appointment of a monastic of the convent, nun Judith (Zastavskaya) as Abbess of the Holy Ascension Convent.
The Chief of the Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), presented Mother Judith to Metropolitan Nicholas, who read the prayer for the elevation to abbess and, with the exclamation "Axia" (worthy), placed a golden pectoral cross upon the new abbess. Then the retired abbess of the monastery, Mother Varvara (Novikova) along with the prioress of the convent, nun Ekaterina (Samara), led Mother Judith to the abbess' cathedra, where she sat upon the abbess's seat.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Israel A.D. Viktorov with his wife, representatives of the Russian diplomatic corps, Mother Elisabeth (Smelic), Abbess of the Gethsemane Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene, Mother Ekaterina (Chernushova), Abbess of the Gorne Monastery in Ein Karem all prayed at the service.
During the service, Patriarch Theophilus ӀӀӀ of Jerusalem and All Palestine arrived with Archbishop Aristarchos of Konstantine, secretery of the Greek Patriarchate along with clergy of the Patriarchate. His Beatitude greeted the most eminent bishops, the head of the Mission, the newly appointed abbess and all the sisters and worshipers on the feast and gave an edifying sermon for the feast. The sisters of the convent presented to the Patriarch a hand-sewn winding cloth (plashchanitsa) of the Holy Theotokos, the work of the nuns.
After the Liturgy, a prayer service was held with a procession around the Ascension Church.
After the dismissal, the First Hierarch, Metropolitan Nicholas, presented the Abbess' staff to the new Abbess with an edifying word. Fr. Roman presented mother Judith with an icon of her heavenly intercessor, St. Judith of Bethulia.
After the service, everyone went to the monastery refectory, where the sisters prepared a plentiful meal not only for the worshipers but also, by a long-held tradition, the neighbors from the Mount of Olives. During the meal, Ambаssador Viktorov congratulated all in attendance with the feast and announced that the Russian Federation is always prepared to help the convent in any way.
Afterwards, Mother Judith received the clergy and pilgrims at her new residence.
The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Metropolitan Nicholas, led the services in concelebration with Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany, who arrived in the Holy Land with a pilgrimage group. Vladyka Nicholas arrived in Jerusalem for a pastoral visit on Tuesday, May 27.
The heads of both Russian Ecclesiastical Missions, archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) and archimandrite Vassian (Zmeev) along with clergy from both Missions and pilgrims in cleric orders also served with the bishops.
During the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas elevated the newly appointed abbess of the monastery to the rank of Abbess. At the small entrance, the deacon of the REM, Hierodeacon Amphilochius, proclaimed the decree of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on the appointment of a monastic of the convent, nun Judith (Zastavskaya) as Abbess of the Holy Ascension Convent.
The Chief of the Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), presented Mother Judith to Metropolitan Nicholas, who read the prayer for the elevation to abbess and, with the exclamation "Axia" (worthy), placed a golden pectoral cross upon the new abbess. Then the retired abbess of the monastery, Mother Varvara (Novikova) along with the prioress of the convent, nun Ekaterina (Samara), led Mother Judith to the abbess' cathedra, where she sat upon the abbess's seat.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Israel A.D. Viktorov with his wife, representatives of the Russian diplomatic corps, Mother Elisabeth (Smelic), Abbess of the Gethsemane Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene, Mother Ekaterina (Chernushova), Abbess of the Gorne Monastery in Ein Karem all prayed at the service.
During the service, Patriarch Theophilus ӀӀӀ of Jerusalem and All Palestine arrived with Archbishop Aristarchos of Konstantine, secretery of the Greek Patriarchate along with clergy of the Patriarchate. His Beatitude greeted the most eminent bishops, the head of the Mission, the newly appointed abbess and all the sisters and worshipers on the feast and gave an edifying sermon for the feast. The sisters of the convent presented to the Patriarch a hand-sewn winding cloth (plashchanitsa) of the Holy Theotokos, the work of the nuns.
After the Liturgy, a prayer service was held with a procession around the Ascension Church.
After the dismissal, the First Hierarch, Metropolitan Nicholas, presented the Abbess' staff to the new Abbess with an edifying word. Fr. Roman presented mother Judith with an icon of her heavenly intercessor, St. Judith of Bethulia.
After the service, everyone went to the monastery refectory, where the sisters prepared a plentiful meal not only for the worshipers but also, by a long-held tradition, the neighbors from the Mount of Olives. During the meal, Ambаssador Viktorov congratulated all in attendance with the feast and announced that the Russian Federation is always prepared to help the convent in any way.
Afterwards, Mother Judith received the clergy and pilgrims at her new residence.
