On February 28, 2021, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Alexander (Elisov), accompanied by his deputy hieromonk Dometian (Markarian), paid a visit to northern Israel, Patriarchy.Ru reports.
During the trip, Archimandrite Alexander visited the village of Sakhnin, where, with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, a temple is being built for the local Christian population, historically professing Orthodoxy.
The peculiarity of the northern cities and villages of Israel is that the Christian population here is indigenous, and for many centuries has remained faithful to their religious beliefs, despite numerous political changes. This is the reason for the special care of the Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church for the pastoral care of this region. The temple under construction, according to the plan of Patriarch Theophilos, should become a spiritual stronghold for all local Orthodox Christians, so that they can feel the care of the Mother Church in the place of their historical residence.
Sharing the concern of the Jerusalem Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia made his contribution to the temple being built and donated a carved altar for the main altar in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God, as well as two thrones for the temple side-altars. The thrones were made in the workshops of the Cyprus Orthodox Church.
