His Beatitude Onuphry visits ROCOR nunneries in the Holy Land

During his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Primate of the UOC visited the ROCOR nunneries. Photo: ROCOR website

On Saturday, May 18, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine visited the Convent of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene in Gethsemane and the Olive Savior-Ascension Convent in Mount Eleon, the ROCOR website reported.

In Gethsemane, His Beatitude was received by the head of the Ecclesiastical Mission of the Russian Church Outside Russia in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Roman (Krasovsky) with the brethren, and Abbess Elizabeth (Shmelts) with the sisters.

Accompanied by the singing of the Easter hymn, the Primate of the UOC venerated the throne and shrines of the "Royal Temple" of the monastery. After a short prayer, Archimandrite Roman greeted His Beatitude, assuring him of prayers offered by the ROCOR monastics about the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox of Ukraine.

In turn, His Beatitude Onuphry expressed deep gratitude for the prayer support and wished the monks patience and heavenly help in bearing difficult obediences in the Holy Land.

While venerating the relics of Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nun Barbara, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church anointed his companions with oil from the everburning lamps hanging at the holy relics of the female martyrs.

Then His Beatitude went to the Russian Ascension Convent in Mount Eleon, where the clergy and Abbess Barbara (Novikova) with the sisters met him to the chiming of the bells of the “Russian Candle”. In the cathedral church, Metropolitan Onuphry revered the throne, shrines and resting place of Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) – one of the greatest chiefs of the Russian spiritual mission in the Holy Land.

In the chapel in honor of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, the pilgrims, who accompanied His Beatitude, had the confession sacrament, followed by the reading of the rule to the Holy Communion in the nunnery garden.

At the end, the head of the UOC thanked for the opportunity to venerate the shrines of the monastery and headed for the Holy Sepulcher together with Bishop Eusebius of Shepetovka and Slavuta and the pilgrims, where His Beatitude performed the nightly Divine Liturgy. 

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