The Celebration of the Venerable Martyrs Grand Duchess Elisabeth and nun Barbara at Russian Gethsemane in Jerusalem

On July 5/18, in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, the commemoration of the holy martyrs Elisabeth and Barbara was solemnly celebrated.

The relics of the holy martyrs, which from 1920 to this day have been in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, were opened for veneration in 1982, after the glorification of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia by the Russian Church Abroad.

In the morning, on the day of the feast, the abbess of the monastery, Mother Elisabeth (Smelic), with the sisters of the monastery and numerous pilgrims and parishioners, greeted the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), who then led the Divine Liturgy. The head of the mission was co-served by clergy of the REM, Hieromonk Feodor (Kirike), Hieromonk Misail (Minin), Hieromonk Hesychius (Bashirov) and Hieromonk Amphilochius (Mazur). The abbess of the Holy Ascension Convent, Mother Varvara (Novikova), with the sisters of the Olivet Monastery, as well as the abbess of the Gornensky Monastery, Abbess Ekaterina (Chernysheva) with the sisters of the monastery, also prayed in the church. The faithful received communion from three chalices.

In his sermon, Archimandrite Roman emphasized an important fact from the life of the Grand Duchess: Saint Elizabeth grew up in an aristocratic, pious Lutheran family and was raised in Lutheran traditions, so the transition to the Orthodox faith and unification with the Russian people was not an easy test for her. Her faith and love were so great and true that she gave her life for Christ and for her new Orthodox homeland.

After the end of the liturgy, everyone surrounded the shrine with the relics of the holy Grand Duchess, where they served a moleben.

After this, the Head of the Mission congratulated the abbess of the monastery, Mother Elisabeth, on the day of her heavenly patroness, Saint Elisabeth, wishing her wisdom and spiritual strength in continuing her high calling. He also congratulated nun Varvara, one of the sisters of the monastery, on her Names Day.

Later that day, the clergy and sisters of the monastery gathered in the abbesses quarters, where they celebrated the name day of the abbess together.