April 16 marked the fortieth day since the repose of the former abbess of the Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives – Mother Moisseia (Bubnova). Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, led a panikhida at the grave of the late abbess which is located behind the main church of the monastery. Archimandrite Vasily (Druzhinets) and Abbot Iona (Galishnikov) co-served with Fr. Roman.
The sisters of the convent with the current abbess of the monastery, Mother Barbara (Novikova), prayed at the service. Also in attendance was Abbess Elisabeth (Smelic), abbess of the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene with many sisters of her monastery in which Mother Moisseia lived before her appointment to be abbess on the Mount of Olives.
Mother Moisseia ruled the convent for almost 20 years, from 1997 until her retirement due to ill health in 2017. Matushka died early in the morning on March 8, 2021. The day before her death, Mother Moisseia received the Holy Gifts and was blessed with the Sacrament of Holy Unction.
The years of her rule were distinguished by the restoration of many buildings of the convent. Thanks to the wise spiritual guidance of Mother Moisseia, the monastery is now filled with a whole group of young monastic sisters.
May the Lord give rest to the soul of the newly-departed Abbess Moisseia in the tabernacles of the righteous.
