On Sunday, June 16, a delegation from the Russian Church Abroad, headed by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, took part in Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Sremski Karlovci, Serbia. On Monday, June 17, having bidden farewell to Bishops Vasilije of Srem and Irinej of Bačka, they departed first to Žiča and then to Studenica.

In Studenica on Tuesday, June 18, Metropolitan Mark of Berlin & Germany celebrated Liturgy, co-served by Bishops Job of Stuttgart and Nektarije of Britain & Ireland, the brethren of the monastery, and members of the delegation. The service was held in the cathedral church of the monastery, in the presence of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign."

Praying and communing of Christ’s Holy Mysteries were Metropolitan Nicholas and Archbishop Peter of Chicago & Mid-America. Upon completion of Liturgy, the Metropolitan greeted Abbot Tikhon, Bishop-elect of Moravica, and presented him with an icon of the Holy Nun-Martyr Elizabeth.

After refreshing themselves in the monastery refectory and bidding farewell to Fr. Tikhon, the delegation departed for Manasija and Miljkovo Monasteries. In the latter, the Kursk Root Icon and His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, were greeted solemnly, along with the archpastors accompanying him.

Meeting the wonderworking icon, the local clergy served Vespers with an akathist before a large gathering of people. At the end of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the worshippers with an edifying sermon, during which he recalled that several hierarchs honored in the Russian Church Abroad were tonsured at the Entrance of the Theotokos Miljkovo Convent: St. John (Maximovich), Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky), Archbishop Anthony (Sinkevich), Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) and the Bartoshevich brothers: Archbishop Anthony and Bishop Leontius.

Then, in memory of the visit of the wonderworking icon, Metropolitan Nicholas presented the abbess of the convent with and embroidered case that once adorned the Kursk-Root Icon. After this, the members of the delegation venerated the burial place of Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose (Kurganov), the late rector of the monastery, about whom Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) wrote a brochure, entitled "The Young Elder."

Late in the evening, the delegation returned to Belgrade.

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