Dear brothers and sisters,
The Wonderworking Kursk-Root icon of the Most Holy Mother of God will make its journey to Wales on Friday, and will make a station Chippenham, where a moleben will be served so that the faithful from Wiltshire and Bath will be able to pray and venerate the icon.
Having proceeded to Cardiff, with several further stations, the icon will arrive at St John’s Church shortly before 19:00. Please be in church in time to welcome the icon.
Having welcomed the icon to St John’s, we will serve a moleben and sing the Akathist to the Mother of God, in honour of the Kursk-Root Icon, and we look forward to welcoming the faithful from various parishes and communities, some from beyond Cardiff to be part of this offering of prayer.
The following day the clergy will celebrate a moleben in Prestbury United Reformed Church, Deep St, Cheltenham, GL52 3AW, at 09:00 on Saturday, allowing the local faithful some time for private prayer before the Cardiff clergy take the icon to our ROCOR parish in Telford.
For both services, please prepare commemoration lists for the living, to be presented before the moleben, so that the clergy are able to make your commemorations in the presence of Our Lady’s icon.
We had hoped to make home-visits in the Cheltenham and Gloucester area, but were then given the task of driving the icon to Shropshire by 13:00, so home-visiting will sadly not be an option this time.
I look forward to being with you in honouring the Lord and His Most Pure Mother by welcoming the Kursk-Root Icon of the Sign, which has consoled the faithful since its discovery in the 13th century.
We will join a countless multitude of saints and sovereigns, hierarchs, clergy, monastics, ordinary folk and needy souls who have brought their joys and sorrows, petitions and thanksgiving, worries and hopes to the Lord and the Mother of God, venerating this wonderworking icon with faith and love.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark