May 9/22, on the day of the feast of the Transfer of the Relics of St. Nicholas, the patronal feast of the lower church in the Lavra of St. Chariton at Fara was celebrated.
On the eve of the feastday, Hieromonk Theodore (Kirike) and Hierodeacon Amphilochius (Mazur) served an all-night vigil. The builder of this monastery, monk Hariton (Burov), led the service in the kliros.
In the morning, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), the Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, arrived at the monastery to lead the Divine Liturgy. Before the service, Fr. Theodore blessed the water as is customary on the day of the patronal feast. At the Liturgy, as in all monasteries of the Mission, a prayer for peace in the Holy Land and Kievan Rus was read. Also commemorated were His Beatitude, Metropolitan Onuphry (Berezovsky), First-Hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with his God-protected flock and the imprisoned metropolitans: Paul, Theodosius, Jonathan, Arseny and Luke. Also, marking the anniversary of his repose on the day of this feast in 1965, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) was remembered. With the blessing of the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, Vl. Anastassy led the affairs of the Mission for ten years during the most difficult times of post-war Palestine.
We wish monk Chariton spiritual strength to continue his obedience in this holy place.
We wish monk Chariton spiritual strength to continue his obedience in this holy place.
