First Russian Easter in Iceland

FIRST RUSSIAN EASTER IN ICELAND

The first ever Russian Orthodox Easter service was celebrated this year in the capital city of Iceland. St. Nicholas Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Reykjavik uniting several dozen people from Russia and other CIS countries has not yet a priest of its own. With the blessing of His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visited the parish on the occasion of the Holy Pascha.

On Holy Friday, May 3, matins with the rite of the Burial of the Saviour was conducted at the Lutheran Friedrichscapella. On the following day, Father Vsevolod baptized several parishioners’ children. On the very day of the feast, Paschal matins and Divine Liturgy were celebrated. The old hymn “Christ has risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death” resounded around the Friedrichscaapella.

During the service, Father Vsevolod read out a special message from His Holiness the Patriarch to the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church living in Iceland, which stated in particular, “The feast of the Holy Pascha in year parish is redoubled by the first Paschal service to be celebrated in its history. On this bright and holy day I testify to my love of the “small flock” of the Russian Orthodox Church in Iceland and my hope that your church life will come from strength to strength. I assure you that I will always have care for you, the children of the Russian Church living far from the Motherland but cherishing the faith of the forefathers”.

Present at the service were Russian Ambassador to Iceland A. Rannikh and a representative of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Iceland, Rev. Sigurder Arnitordarsson.

During his visit to Iceland, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin will meet with representatives of the governmental bodies and Lutheran communities in Iceland.