Memory of Great Patriotic War warriors was honoured at Moscow Patriarchate parishes in various countries of the world

On May 9, 2012, it was the 67^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The memory of Soviet soldiers who defended the Motherland and liberated Europe from fascism was honoured at the Moscow Patriarchate’s parishes in various countries of the world.

At the memorial to Soviet partisans in Palestrina, Italy, the memorial ceremonies were attended by diplomats from Russia, Ukraine and other countries, local officials, schoolchildren from the Russian Embassy’s and city’s schools, and numerous guests. The rector of the church of the Holy Protomartyr Catherine in Rome, Father Anthony (Sevryuk), in his speech reminded the gathering of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia’s blessing upon the conduct of requiem services and thanksgivings on the occasion of the Victory Day in all the Russian Orthodox churches in over 60 countries of the world. Then Father Anthony led the prayer for the repose of the souls of the dead commanders and soldiers, the website of the church of St. Catherine has reported.

On May 9, with the blessing of Archbishop Yelisey of Sourozh, the sacristan of the Cathedral of the Assumption in London, Archpriest Mikhail Dudko, attended the traditional ceremony of laying wreaths at the memorial of Soviet citizens who were killed in World War II, at the Royal Military Museum in London. Wreath were laid by representatives of British and Russian state and public organizations, Russian war veterans and British North Convoy sailors, the Sourozh diocesan website has reported.

According to the website of the Russian Orthodox Church in Iceland, on May 9, wreaths were laid at the Memorial of Hope devoted to the North Convoys sailors at the city cemetery at Fossvogur in Reykjavik. The rector of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Parish of St. Nicholas, Father Timofey Zolotussky, led those present in a prayer for the repose of the souls of the dead soldiers and all those who were killed during the Great Patriotic War.

In the evening of May 8, a memorial gathering took place at the diocesan hall of the Cathedral of the Three Hierarchs in Paris to commemorate the Great Patriotic War soldiers. Clergy and parishioners sang war songs, watched war documentaries and told front-line stories from the life of the Motherland’s defenders, the Chersonese diocesan website has reported.

On the Victory Day, the dean of the Sofia Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate, Father Philip (Vasiltsev), conducted a prayer for the dead at the burial place of liberation warriors in the Bulgarian capital city. According to the Representation’s website, wreaths were laid at the memorial by Russian Ambassador Yu. Isakov, heads of diplomatic missions of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as military attachés of the USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, Serbia and other countries. Flowers were brought to the memorial by Great Patriotic War veterans, schoolchildren of the Russian Embassy’s school, representatives of Bulgarian and Russian organizations and parishioners of the Patriarchal Representation.

On May 8, after the Orthodox service in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, all the worshippers were given St. George Order ribbons as a symbol of memory for the commanders and soldiers of the Great Patriotic War, the website of the Parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women in Venice has reported.

On May 13, services and events devoted to the anniversary of the Great Victory will be held at the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg, South Africa. After the Sunday liturgy, a thanksgiving will be celebrated for the victory in the Great Patriotic War and a prayer for the dead soldiers will be said. The parish website has announced that on the same day a photo-exhibition will be opened to present visual testimonies of that terrible war.

DECR Communication Service