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On November 4, 2020, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was celebrated in the Gorny Convent in the Holy Land, which has a church dedicated to it.

The history of the special veneration of the Kazan icon in the convent goes back to 1916, a difficult period when the sister had to make their bread by working outside the convent at the construction of the Jericho Road. As a result, cholera, which was brought to the convent, began rapidly spreading. As the nuns had no opportunity to receive aid on the earth, they lifted up ardent prayers to the Heavenly Queen reciting with tears the akathystos to her before an Icon of Our Lady of Kazan. The sisters recited it repeatedly until the illness stopped. Since that time, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, before which the sisters prayed, is a specially venerated icon in the convent.

The venerated image kept in the Gorny Convent is a small icon, which in the beginning was placed in the sanctuary and brought out twice a year during feasts or sister’s taking monastic vows. As the number of nuns grew in the 21st century, the icon was brought out for veneration by the faithful and celebration of thanksgivings and was placed in a specially made icon case.

The celebration of the patron saint’s day of the church of Our Lady of Kazan began with the solemn All-Night Vigil led by the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Alexander (Yelisov) assisted by the clergy of the mission.

According to the local tradition, the All-Night Vigil lity was followed by a procession around the church. After the service, Mother Superior Ekaterina (Chernysheva) and the sisters recited the akathistos to the Mother of God before Her miracle-working icon, soliciting Her protection and majestic help to all those who suffer from the pernicious coronavirus infection.

On the feast day, Archimandrite Alexander presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Gorny Convent. He was assisted by Archpriest Victor Mnoian, Hieromonk Innokeniy (Bespalkv), Hieromonk Dometian (Markarian), Hieromonk Afanasiy (Bukin), and Deacon Iliya Drachuk. The sermon after the communion prayer was delivered by Hieromonk Dometian (Markarian), deputy head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.

After the liturgy, a thanksgiving was celebrated before the miracle-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God followed by a procession with the cross and the reciting of the akathistos.  After the statuary ‘Many Year of Life’, Archimandrite Alexander greeted the worshippers and congratulated Mother Superior Ekaterina and the sisters on the convent’s patronal feast..

Press service of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission

DECR Communication Service