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On 26 October 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, currently on a visit to the Holy Mount Athos with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Filotheou Monastery.

Concelebrating were Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, chairman of the Synodal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church for Monasteries; Archbishop Antony of Borispol, rector of the Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary; Bishop Feofilakt of Bryansk and Sevsk; archpriest Vladimir Kotsaba, secretary of the Academic Board of the Kiev Theological Academy; Rev. Mikhail Asmus, DECR staff member; hieromonk Nikodemos, abbot of the monastery; clerics of the monastery; and hierodeacon Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman.

The monastery was solemnly commemorating St. Simeon the New Theologian, a great Orthodox zealot and renowned ascetic writer. At the repast, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed the brethren with a homily dedicated to the saint.