Holy Protection Monastery in Moscow is the biggest center of pilgrimage in the city, and one of the most important in the entire Russian Church.
On October 14, the convent celebrated its patronal feast, which this year doubled as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of its reestablishment.
The feast began the evening before with the celebration of the All-Night Vigil by His Grace Bishop Dionysius of Voskresensky, during which the Akathist to the Protection of the Mother of God was read.
The Divine Liturgy in the morning was celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill together with 19 other hierarchs of the Russian Church and a number of priests and deacons, reports the monastery website.
The monastery was opened by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Church on November 24, 1994.
Upon arrival at the holy monastery, the Patriarch first venerated the holy relics of St. Matrona and then celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Holy Protection.
Following the Liturgy, the glorification of the Mother of God was celebrated, then Abbess Theophania greed Pat. Kirill and presented him with an icon of the Protection of the Mother of God.
His Holiness addressed the gathered faithful with a primatial word and presented the monastery with a set of veils for the chalice and diskos for feasts of the Mother of God.
Translated by Orthochristian.com
Photo courtesy: Patriarchia.ru/ Oleg Varov
