During Great Lent, for the sake of strengthening and encouraging spiritually struggling Christians, on the middle week of Great Lent, the Holy Cross is solemnly brought out for worship in the churches. The Rite of “Carrying Out the Cross” is one of the most touching and beloved of Orthodox Christians.

On Saturday evening at the Convent of the Ascension of Christ, during the all-night vigil after the singing of the Great Doxology, the head of the REM in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), bought out the Holy Cross into the middle of the temple. The clergy of the Mission, Archimandrite Vasily (Druzhinets) and Abbot Iona (Galishnikov) co-served with Fr. Roman. Abbess Barbara (Novikova) with the sisters of the convent prayed in the Holy Ascension Church.

On Sunday morning the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was served, during which many  of the sisters received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

 

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