MOSCOW: October 7, 2010
The Primate of the Russian Church Abroad Visits Moscow's Church of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in Bolshaya Ordynka and the Chernigov Patriarchal Metochion

On October 6, 2010, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York visited the Church of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Moscow, and the Chernigov Patriarchal metochion. The Primate of the Russian Church Abroad was accompanied by Protopriest Peter Holodny.

His Eminence was welcomed by the rector of the church, Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. He venerated the church’s main shrine – the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” and other icons.

Metropolitan Ilarion told his guest about the life the parish and drew his attention to the architectural and interior features of the church.

At the Patriarchal metochion of the Chernigov Wonder-workers, which has been transferred to the SS Cyril and Methodius Church Post-Graduate and Doctoral School, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia venerated the shrines in the church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist, among them a particle of the relics of the Blessed Matrona of Moscow and the venerated Icon of Our Lady of Kazan.

The DECR chairman welcomed the Vladyka Hilarion, noting that the Chernigov town residence was under repair to prepare it for studies in the Post-Graduate School which would begin later in October.

In his address to the ROCOR First Hierarch, Metropolitan Ilarion said, “We hope that this place will become a spiritual center in which students can begin their education and those of them who are ordained will celebrate here. As we will now cross the lane, you will see something difficult to imagine exists only a five-minute walk away from the Moscow Kremlin. One might think it is an abandoned village somewhere in the Ryazan Province. You will see a space overgrown with weeds and piled with scrap metal. We will have to clean it up and adorn it.

“The church of Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow, in Bolshaya Ordynka, which you have visited and in where I serve with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, is one of the most revered churches in Moscow, which stayed open even in the time of godlessness. Archbishop Kiprian (Zernov) used to serve in it. I attended this church when I was a schoolchild.

“Today you have attended a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church for the first time. It is a joyful event which serves as another landmark on the road of our common service.”

In his response, Metropolitan Hilarion of New York thanked the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk for his hospitality and expressed joy over the fact that for the first time a hierarch of the Russian Church Outside Russia took part in a meeting of the Russian Church’s Holy Synod. He noted the important role of the Russian Church in bearing witness before the whole world to the truth of Holy Orthodoxy.

The archpastors inspected the educational facilities and proceeded to the church of SS Michael and Theodore of Chernigov.

DECR Communication Service