On November 4, 2024, the feast day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, with the blessing of Holy Patriarch John of Greater Antioch and All the East, the Matins and Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Holy Martyr Ignatius the Theotokos at the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Damascus was presided over by Bishop Moses of Larissa. The hierarch was served by the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarchal See of Antioch archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev) and Archpriest Fid Zhabar.
Богослужение совершалось на церковнославянском и арабском языках, сообщает сайт Представительства. At the Litany of Supplication special petitions were offered and a prayer for Holy Russia was recited.
Members of the Russian-speaking Orthodox community of Syria from the cities of Latakia and Homs were among those who prayed in the church that day. The community's pilgrimage to Damascus was organized with the help of the Union of Orthodox Women.
After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Moses warmly welcomed Archimandrite Philip and the parishioners of the church and conveyed to them the Primacy Blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch John. Vladyka Moses spoke specifically about the veneration of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God in Russia and congratulated all those present on the feast in honor of the miraculous image.
In his response Archimandrite Philip cordially thanked the hierarch for the celebration of the feast service, for his good wishes to the congregation and exclaimed many years to the Princes of the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches.
After the end of the service in the parish hall of the representative office there was a spiritual conversation about the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Day of National Unity.
The conversation included a greeting from the representative office of the Union of Orthodox Women in Syria, announced by the head of the Syrian branch Galina Khachaturyan.
At the end, Vladyka Moses and Archimandrite Philip answered questions from the faithful.
EVCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
