Hierarchs and clerics of six Local Orthodox Churches celebrate on dedication day at the church of ‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’ icon of the Mother of God in Moscow
November 6 is the feast day of the ‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’ icon of the Mother of God. This year, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Moscow church in Bolshaya Ordynka Street, where the miracle-working icon is kept.
Concelebrating were Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia); Bishop Dionisy of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Anthony of Moravici, representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Longin of New Gračanica and Midwestern America (Serbian Orthodox Church); Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevo, chairman of the Synodal department for church charity and social ministry; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; Archimandrite Serafim (Shemyatovsky), representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), rector of the Russian Orthodox Church metochion in Sofia; Archpriest Daniel Andrejuk representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; Archpriest Kakhaber Gogotishvili (Georgian Orthodox Church); many ordained guests and DECR staff members as well as clerics of the church.
After the Litany of Fervent Supplication Metropolitan Hilarion said a prayer for peace in Ukraine and at the end of the service addressed the worshippers. He spoke about the meaning of the feast and the history of the miracle-working icon that was painted in the 17th century and underscored that the Most Holy Mother of God is Mother of all of us, heeding to our prayers and bringing them to her Son. When we worship our Lord Jesus Christ, we worship his Most Holy Mother, beseeching her help and protection.
Metropolitan Hilarion greeted all guests who concelebrated with him, addressing each of them personally and congratulated all the worshippers with the feast.
A prayer of praise was said before the main shrine of the church – the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God – ‘Joy to All Who Sorrow.’