On Saturday, August 26, the leavetaking of the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, currently visiting the Holy Land on pilgrimage, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Gorny Convent in Ein Karem.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Archimandrite Alexander (Elisov; head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem ‒ MP), Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky; head of the ROCOR Ecclesiastical Mission), Hieromonk Innocent (Bespalov) & Priest Viktor Klinshov (clerics of Gorny Monastery), and clerics of the Russian Church Abroad.

Praying at the service were the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the State of Israel Anatoly D. Viktorov and his wife, and First Secretary of the Russian Embassy F.V. Georgi.

At the end of the service, Ambassador Viktorov spoke with Metropolitan Nicholas. Practical aspects of maintaining and strengthening the Christian presence in the Holy Land in the interests of ensuring the rights of Orthodox believers were discussed.

Media Office of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission
Translation by Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese