Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates All-Night Vigil at the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem

On 27 August 2-011, the eve of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), celebrated the All-Night Vigil service at the Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.

Concelebrating were archimandrite Isidor (Minayev), head of the Mission; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; hegumen Feofan (Lukianov), deputy head of the Mission; ordained staff members of the Mission, and Russian Orthodox priests on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The DECR chairman addressed his archpastoral homily to archimandrite Isidor and the worshippers, conveying cordial greetings and blessing from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and expressing his joy over being in the Holy Land on the Feast of the Dormition.

Metropolitan Hilarion said that for many years the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission has helped thousands pilgrims from different countries to find their way to the holy sites of this land sanctified by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, His Precious Mother, and holy apostles and continued his homily dwelling on the feast.

He said in conclusion that people feel themselves particularly close to God and His Mother in the Holy Land and thanked archimandrite Isidor and all workers of the Mission for hospitality rendered to himself and members of the delegation who arrived here to meet with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos and venerate the holy sites.