On Monday, December 6, the day of the patronal feast of the church of the Grand Prince St. Alexander Nevsky which is in the Compound of the Orthodox Palestinian Society at the Excavations, the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem – Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) performed the solemn divine services. This year, two anniversaries were especially celebrated: the 800th anniversary of the birth of the saint and the 100th anniversary of the 1st All-Diaspora Council.

On the evening before, an all-night vigil was served with the blessing of the loaves. During the polyeleos Fr. Roman along with the clergy of the Mission – Archimandrite Innokenty (Sereda) and Hierodeacon Amfilohy (Mazur) solemnly glorified the saint intoning – We magnify thee, blessed Grand Prince Alexander… The Choir of Sisters from the Gethsemane convent under the direction of Nun Macaria also sang the praises of the Blessed Prince.

In the morning, before the Liturgy, holy water was blessed. Then the Head of Mission was met at the entrance of the church and after reading the entrance prayers and hours, the Divine Liturgy was served.

Afterwards, Father Roman read the Jubilee Epistle of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia – Metropolitan Hilarion.

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, a prayer service to St. Alexander Nevsky with thanksgiving petitions to the Lord, emphasizing His blessings sent down to the Russian people “in the fatherland and those scattering around the world” over the past 100 years.

After the moleben, the reposed Serbian patriarchs who gave shelter to the bishops, clergy the Russian faithful, all the reposed first hierarchs, bishops, heads of the REM and all public figures of the ROCOR were remembered with the singing of “Memory Eternal”. Then “Many Years” was proclaimed for Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and All Palestine, Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia, the First Hierarch of the Church Abroad – Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Mission and all those who were attending and praying.

 

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