On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Liturgy at the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari

DECR Communication Service, 15/02/2025

On February 15^th, the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Basilica of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari, Italy.

Metropolitan Anthony had arrived in Bari the night before on a brief work visit with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

At the entrance to St. Nicholas Basilica, Metropolitan Anthony was met by Priest Giovanni Distante, prior of the Basilica; Mr Vito Leccese, Mayor of Bari; Mr Michele Bolettieri, Russia’s Honorary Consul to Bari; and Mr Alessandro Adriani, Honorary Consul of Belarus.

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the altar in the church crypt. Lying beneath it are the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Concelebrating with the archpastor were Archpriest Vyacheslav Bachin, rector of the Patriarchal Metochion of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari, Archpriest Sergy Bespalov, and Priest Nikolai Vasin, secretary to the DECR chairman.

After the divine service, the prayers of the feast were offered, along with the prayers of praise to St. Nicholas. Metropolitan Anthony delivered a sermon. Rev. Giovanni Distante warmly greeted the DECR chairman and presented to him the myrrh from St. Nicholas’ relics.

Metropolitan Anthony thanked the Father Giovanni for the precious gift and for the hospitality extended to pilgrims from the Russian Orthodox Church.

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On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Liturgy at the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons