Celebrations marking the 8th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Tashkent & Uzbekistan, as well as the Central Asian Metropolitanate, were held on Sunday, September 8, in Tashkent. On this day, when the Holy Church commemorates the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the Synaxis of the Saints of the Central Asian Metropolitanate, Metropolitan Vikenty (Vincent) of Tashkent & Uzbekistan, along with a host of archpastors, celebrated Divine Liturgy in Tashkent’s Holy Dormition Diocesan Cathedral. All-Night Vigil had been served the evening prior.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were Archbishop Theophylact of Pyatigorsk & Cherkessk, Administrator pro tempore of the Patriarchal Deanery of Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Turkmenistan; Bishop Paul of Dushanbe & Tajikistan; Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan; and Bishop Arseny of Yuriev, as well as clerics of the Diocese of Australia & New Zealand, the diocesan cathedral, and the Tashkent Deanery.

The service was held under the aegis of the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God

After Holy Communion and the dismissal, the hierarchs lifted up their prayers to the Holy Theotokos; afterward, Metropolitan Vikenty greeted the guests and those gathered in the church.

Bishop Nicholas then presented Metropolitan Vikenty copies of the icon of the Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia, the original which is located in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

Published with materials from www.pravoslavie.uz.