The Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Russian Gethsemane

“Rejoice, o Gethsemane, abode of the Holy Mother of God.” (stikhira)

In the church of St. Mary Magdalene, which is located in the Garden of Gethsemane next to the tomb of the Mother of God, divine services were solemnly served for the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy with Hieromonk Feodor (Kirike), Priest Alexander Popov from Germany, and Hierodeacon Amphilochius (Mazur).
At the end of the Liturgy, the “Rite of the Panagia” was held at the trapeza, afterwards Abbess Elisabeth and her sisters went in procession to the stone where the apostles met the Mother of God and she announced to them that she was their intercessor before her Divine Son. After venerating the holy image of the Dormition the sisters and faithful departed with spiritual joy.