Patriarchal Metochion of St. Nicholas in Bari is returned to the custody of the Russian Orthodox Church

On 22 January 2012, Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Management for Institutions Abroad, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Nicholas at the Patriarchal metochion in Bari, Italy, together with Rev. Andrei Boitsov, rector of the metochion.
Archbishop Mark inspected restoration work and suggested that the metochion should be active in receiving pilgrims, arranging exhibition, etc.
On January 23, Archbishop Mark celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the crypt of the Basilica of St. Nicholas where his relics repose.
That same day, the ceremony of official return of the metochion to the custody of Russia took place in the metochion’s conference hall in the presence of H. E. Alexei Meshkov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Italian Republic.
Mayor of Bari, Mikele Emiliano, delivered the document of the return of property prepared by urban municipality.