Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk continues his pilgrimage to Mount Athos
On 12 December 2017, in continuation of his visit to Mount Athos, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, officiated at the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Holy Annunciation of the Vatopedi Monastery, in which he had arrived the day before with a group of pilgrims. Concelebrating with the archpastor were Rev. Dimitry Ageyev, cleric of the Moscow Church of ‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’ Icon of the Mother of God; Rev. Anatoly Churyakov, DECR staff member; and the ordained brethren of the abode. The service was followed by a brotherly repast and the Rite of the Lifting of the Panagia.
That same day later the pilgrims came to Karyes, where they were received by the Protos of the Holy Epistasia, Monk Christophoros from the Iveron Monastery. The DECR chairman also had a fraternal meeting with Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras who had arrived on the Holy Mountain to take part in the celebrations marking the patronal feast of the Skete of St. Andrew the First-Called.
After that the guests from the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Koutloumousiou Monastery, venerated its shrines and met with its abbot, Archimandrite Christodoulos.
Then Metropolitan Hilarion and his companions came to the Iveron Monastery, where the DECR chairman read the Akathistos before the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God and met with Hegumen Nathanael and the brethren. The pilgrims also venerated the shrines of the Stavronikita Monastery and met with its abbot, Archimandrite Tikhon, and the brethren.
In the evening of the same day the delegation arrived in the Monastery of St. Panteleimon. There Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the All-Night Vigil on the commemoration day of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
The DECR chairman is accompanied on his visit by Rev. Dimitry Ageyev, cleric of the Moscow Church of ‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’ Icon of the Mother of God; Rev. Anatoly Churyakov, DECR staff member; and a group of the Orthodox laymen.
DECR Communication Service