Archpastoral Visit to Bethany

On the day of St. Onuphry the Great, June 12/25, Bishops Theodosius of Seattle and Nicholas of Manhattan arrived in Bethany on an archpastoral visit to the community of the Resurrection of Christ. The Right Reverend Bishops served in all the monasteries of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission during their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Abbess of the Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene, mother Elisabeth (Smelic) met the distinguished guests before the Divine Liturgy. The Head of the Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) with Hierodeacon Amphilochius (Mazur) co-served them in the church of St. Righteous Lazarus of the four days and his sisters Martha and Mary. The choir sang under the direction of the elder sister of the community – Mother Maria (Wall).

During the service, His Eminence Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine was especially commemorated with his God-protected flock on the occasion of his nameday. As in all services in all the convents of the Mission, the “Penitent Prayer in Days of Troubles” was read. After the Liturgy, Vl. Onufry was prayerfully commemorated with the singing of “many years”.