Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Arrives in Damascus

On 26 May 2005, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Archbishop German of Kursk and Rylsk arrived in Damascus to participate in the church and public celebrations on the occasion of opening a monument to St.Paul the Apostle on the site of his miraculous conversion near Kaubab village as he ‘made his journey and drew it near to Damascus’ (Acts 22:6)

Many pilgrims arrived to the celebrations together with the delegation. Among those who met the delegation in the airport were: Mr. M.Al-Said, Syrian Minister of Tourism, R. Markarian, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Syrian Republic, Bishop Gattaz of Karr and Bishop Moses of Daray, Vicars of His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatios of Antioch, and Archimandrite Alexander (Elisov), Representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarchate of Antioch.

The delegation brought an icon of St. Paul, blessed by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. St. Paul and St. Peter were the founders of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

On 27 May the delegation made a pilgrimage to the Convent of the Mother of God in Sednaya and the Convent of St. Theocla in Maaloula. In the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Sednaya Convent a prayer service was conducted by Archbishop German in concelebration with Archimandrite Alexander (Elisov), Rev. Leonid Kalinin and Hieromonk Adrian (Zagorets), who also were the members of the delegation. The pilgrims venerated the ancient icon of the Mother of God, and the places, where St. Theocla lived and worked.

In the evening of the same day, the Days of Russian culture in Damascus were opened with the exhibition of the Russian church art.