Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk officiates at the feast of the main relic of Belarus

On May 20, the feast day of the Zhirovitsy Icon of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Stavropegic Monastery of the Assumption in Zhirovitsy. Archbishop Stefan of Pinsk and Luninets. Archbishop Guriy of Novogrudok and Lida, bishop Artemy of Grodno and Volkovysk, bishop Ioann of Brest and Kobrin, bishop Serafim of Bobruisk and Bykhov, bishop Leonid of Rechitsa, a vicar of the Gomel diocese, and many Byelorussian clergymen concelebrated.

After the Divine Liturgy a procession with the Zhirovitsy Icon of the Mother of God to the Church of the Appearance of the Icon was held. The mosaic icon on the front of the church building was consecrated.

The Byelorussian Exarchate Centre of Education and Charity reports that after the Akathistos hymn was celebrated before the Zhirovitsy Icon of the Mother of God, chairman A. Karput of the Grodno Regional Council of Deputies addressed the participants in the festivities. He congratulated the Orthodox Christians on the feast and expressed gratitude and respect of the Grodno region authorities to the Orthodox Church. Mr. Karput greeted Metropolitan Philaret on behalf of the Governor V. Savchenko and handed him a bouquet if flowers.

According to tradition, the Zhirovitsy Icon was brought back to the Cathedral of the Assumption in procession. Some five thousand pilgrims participated in the procession, including the Ambassador of Serbia to Belarus.

The Zhirovitsy Icon of the Heavenly Queen appeared in 1494 when the shepherds saw a small marvelously radiating icon in the forest. They brought the icon to their master, but in the evening the icon disappeared. On the next day the shepherds who did not know about the disappearance came to the same place in the forest and saw the same radiating icon. Their master understood that it was a miracle of God and took it with great reverence. He prayed to the Lord and vowed to build the church in the place of the appearance of the icon and dedicated to the Mother of God. The monastery in Zhirovitsy was first mentioned in the 16^th century.