Delegation of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus visits St. Petersburg Theological Academy

On 13 June 2012, a delegation of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus visited the St. Petersburg Theological schools.

Bishop Amvrosiy of Gatchina, rector of the schools, received the delegation heads by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kition and Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini.

The guests visited the Church of St. John the Theological and venerated its shrines.

Metropolitan Chrysostomos celebrated a prayer service. The male choir conducted by hieromonk Matfei (Sharov) sang.

After the prayer service, Metropolitan Chrysostomos addressed the rector and the worshippers and donated two icons of St. Lazarus. The shrine with a particle of his relics was presented to the Russian Orthodox Church during the recent visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Cyprus.

Bishop Amvrosiy greeted the guests on behalf of faculty and students and told them about the history of the church and its main shrine, a “Sign” icon of the Mother of God.

The guests saw the assembly hall and attending the defence of diplomas by the students of the icon-painting department. Metropolitan Chrysostomos appreciated quality of the presented works and reminded the graduates of the spiritual component of icon-painting.

The delegation visited the museum and saw exhibitions dedicated to the late Patriarch Alexy II, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), and also to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

Members of the delegation are planning to see the religious, historical and cultural sites of St. Petersburg, website of the St. Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy reports.