PRIMORIYE, RUSSIA: November 25, 2013
Several Thousand Pilgrims Venerate the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God in Arseniev

The visit of the miracle-working Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother God "of the Sign" to Arseniev Diocese in Russia's Far East continued until November 25, 2013, where worshipers venerated it in Annunciation Cathedral in the capital city.

On November 24, 2013, the 22nd Sunday of Pentecost, Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Annunciation Cathedral, headed by His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Grace Bishop Gury of Arseniev and His Grace Bishop Artemy of Petropavlovsk and Kamchatka.

The cathedral was filled to capacity by worshipers; over five hundred parishioners prayed at the service.
Priest Dimitry Fedorin, Dean of the First Deanery of Vladivostok Diocese, commented:

Over the last few days, thousands of believers of Arseniev and its outskirts: Dalnegork, Kavalerovo, Terneya, and from Anuchinsk, Yakovlevsk, Chuguyevsk, Olginskoye, came to Annunciation Cathedral to venerate the ancient miracle- working icon. The Kursk-Root Icon of the Most-Holy Mother of God drew thousands of faithful and clergymen came in large buses.

As a symbol of gratitude, Archbishop Kyrill gave Bishop Gury a decree of gratitude from His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, President of the Synod of Bishops.

Joining in the service were ROCOR's Protopriest Vladimir Boikov, Dean of New Zealand of ROCOR; Protopriest Serafim Gan, Secretary of the First Hierarch of ROCOR; Priest Nicholas Olhovsky, caretaker of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign," and Protodeacon Alexander Kotliaroff of SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in Sydney, Australia .

On Monday, November 25, a moleben and ceremonious farewell to the miraculous icon were held. From there, the icon was taken to Vladivostok International Airport. A moleben was performed there at 2 pm , after which the delegation boarded a plane with the icon bound for Seoul, South Korea.