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On 15 September 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriachate’s Department for External Church Relations, currently on a visit to Estonia with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, took party in the opening of an exhibition of the Pühtica Convent and presentation of the book about the abode.

Present at the ‘Atrium” Gallery also were Metropolitan Korniliy of Tallinn and All Estonia; Bishop Lazar of Narva, a vicar bishop of the Tallinn diocese; archimandrite Tikhon (Sekretarev), abbot of the Pskov Monastery of the Caves; clergymen of the Estonian Metropolia, S. Myannik, a member of the Synod of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate; and the writer Vladimir Illyashevich.

Metropolitan Hilarion delivered an opening speech, saying:

“The centenary of the Cathedral of the Dormition is a remarkable date in the history of the spiritual life of the Pühtica Convent. A great saint, John of Kronstadt, was one of the originators of the convent.

Hegumeness Varvara has been mother superior of the convent for over forty years. She is indeed a spiritual mother for the sisters of many convents of the Russian Orthodox Church. Fourteen mother superiors of other convents were sisters of the Pühtica convent. This is a great service of mother Varvara.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II had been the holy archimandrite of the Pühtica Convent for over thirty years as Metropolitan of Tallinn and Estonia and later as Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod. When he was elected Patriarch, he retained his status of archimandrite of the convent.

I am deeply impressed by my recent visit to the Pühtica Convent, and I would life to wish its mother superior and all the sisters God’s help. May the Lord preserve this holy abode for many and good years!”

The exhibition will be open till September 23. The visitors can see photos of the life of the convent made by nun Filareta (Kalacheva), and a book dedicated to the centenary of the Cathedral of the Dormition.