More than a hundred thousand of the faithful venerate the head of St Silouan in Minsk

Minsk, 20-31 August 2016, the venerable head of St. Silouan the Athonite was available for veneration at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Minsk. More than one hundred thousand faithful in Belarus were able to make a pilgrimage to the miracle-working relics throughout these days, to venerate them and pray before them, reports the official portal of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.

After the solemn meeting of the holy relics a Vigil Service was celebrated at the Cathedral. The service was presided over by Metropolitan Pavel and Bishop Veniamin with representatives of the Minsk clergy along with fathers from Holy Mount Athos (who had brought the relic from the Russian Athonite St. Panteleimon’s Monastery) concelebrating.
On August 31 after the prayer the relics were solemnly seen off by the large congregation and the clergy headed by Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslawye, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus.

After Belarus the relics of Venerable Silouan the Athonite will visit Russia where Orthodox Christians will be able to venerate them. The Russian itinerary includes the following cities: Bryansk (August 31 – September 3), Orel (September 3-6), Yelets (September 6-9), Tambov (September 9-12), Yekaterinburg (September 12-15), Moscow (September 15-24).

Recall, the head of St. Silvanus brought to the Russian Orthodox Church with the blessing of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill during the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Russian monasticism on Mount Athos. Until now, the relics of the venerable St. Silouan the Athonite have never left the Russian St. Panteleimon’s Monastery on Mount Athos.