On Friday of the fourth week of Great Lent, Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Novokuibyshevsk and Bishop Anthony of Syzran and Shigonsk with a group of pilgrims visited the Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene located in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Bishop Anthony presided the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission - Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Hieromonk Isihiy (Bashirov), a cleric of the Mission, and pilgrims in holy orders served with the bishop. Vladyka Sergius prayed in the Altar.
As required by the Typicon, on this day before the Liturgy, the Holy Cross was brought into the altar, which had been lying on the lectern in church all week for the veneration of the faithful.
After the service, the pilgrims had breakfast in the monastery refectory together with Abbess Elisabeth (Smelic) and the sisters of the convent.
Bishop Anthony presided the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission - Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Hieromonk Isihiy (Bashirov), a cleric of the Mission, and pilgrims in holy orders served with the bishop. Vladyka Sergius prayed in the Altar.
As required by the Typicon, on this day before the Liturgy, the Holy Cross was brought into the altar, which had been lying on the lectern in church all week for the veneration of the faithful.
After the service, the pilgrims had breakfast in the monastery refectory together with Abbess Elisabeth (Smelic) and the sisters of the convent.
