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On 23 June 2017, the delegation of hegumens and monks of the Coptic monasteries concluded their pilgrimage to Russia, which was carried out in compliance with the agreements between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II of the Coptic Church within the framework of the Bilateral Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church.

The Coptic  delegation included Bishop Daniel, Abbot of St. Paul monastery, assistant to Patriarch Tawadros II on monasteries and monasticism – the head of the delegation; Bishop Epiphanious, Abbot of St. Macarius monastery; Bishop Selwanis, Abbot of St. Pachomius monastery; Bishop Kyrillos, Abbot of St. Menas monastery; Bishop Youstos, Abbot of St. Antony monastery; Bishop Daniel of  Maadi, auxiliary bishop of Patriarch Tawadros II; hieromonk Ashia Elbaramosy of St. Mary Baramos monastery; hieromonk Efraim Anba Bishoy of St. Bishoy monastery; hieromonk Sedrak El Syrian of St. Mary el Syrian monastery; and hieromonk Sharobiem El Bakhomy of St. Pachomius the Great monastery; and Dr. Anton Milad.

Seeing off the Coptic delegation at the Domodedovo Airport were Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism of the Russian Orthodox Church, abbot of the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius; Bishop Paramon of Bronnitsy, abbot of the Donskoy Monastery; Rev. Mikhail Bodanov, assistant to the chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; and Mr. Sergei Alferov, a staff member of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

During their pilgrimage, the Coptic monks visited churches and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow Region and met with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

On June 17, the delegation of the Coptic Church visited St. Daniel’s Monastery, the Novospassky Monastery, and the Convent of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God.

On June 18, the guests attended the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. After the service, they had a meeting with His Holiness. Later that day the Coptic delegation visited the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius where they venerated the holy relics of its founder and attended the reception given in their honour by Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad.

On June 19-20, the delegation visited the Convent of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Khotkovo, the Monastery of St. Sabbas of Storozhi in Zvenigorod, the New Jerusalem Monastery and the Monastery of St. Joseph of Volokolamsk.

On June 21, the members of the delegation visited the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin, the Sretensky Monastery and the theological seminary located there, as well as the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery.

On June 22, the representatives of the Coptic Church venerated the shrines of the Ugresha Monastery of St. Nicholas, the Zachatievsky Convent, and the Donskoy Monastery. At the Donskoy Monastery, they were met by Bishop Paramon of Bronnitsy and shown around the abode and its necropolis. The guests from Egypt saw the places related to the earthly life of the Holy Patriarch Tikhon, whose holy relics are kept in the monastery.

DECR Communication Service