Metropolitan Silouan of Mount Lebanon celebrates on patronal feast day of Russian community in Beirut

DECR Communication Service, 08.04.2025.

On April 7, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Matins, Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom were celebrated in Jal El Dib, Lebanon.

Metropolitan Silouan of Mount Lebanon, of the Orthodox Church of Antioch, celebrated in the Holy Annunciation Church, which is granted to the Russian-speaking Orthodox faithful in Lebanon for use. Assisting the metropolitan was archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and rector of the Beirut Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Among those praying at the Divine Liturgy were H.E. Alexander Rudakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Lebanon, his wife, Mr. Dejan Spasojević, counselor of the Embassy of Serbia in Lebanon, and employees of the Russian diplomatic mission.

Metropolitan Silouan delivered a sermon on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Philip warmly greeted Metropolitan Silouan, congratulated him on the patronal feast of the Russian community, thanked him for the festive service and presented him with an icon of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The Feast of the Annunciation this year is the centenary of his demise, the Metochion’s website reports.

In his welcoming speech, Metropolitan Silouan thanked the parishioners for common prayer and spoke about spiritual friendship between Bishop Tikhon (Belavin) and Archimandrite Raphael (Hawaweeny), who was born in Beirut, later became the bishop of Brooklyn and was canonized.

Archimandrite Raphael began his ministry in America under the omophorion of Bishop Tikhon of the Aleutian Islands and North America, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

After the service, a documentary about Patriarch Tikhon was shown in the parish hall. Archimandrite Philip gave a talk on the remarkable date celebrated in 2025.

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Metropolitan Silouan of Mount Lebanon celebrates on patronal feast day of Russian community in Beirut

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons