JERUSALEM: 6 August 2012
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene celebrated in the Holy Land

On Saturday, 4 August, at the metochion of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission at Magdala and in the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Gethsemane, the patronal feast was celebrated.

The metochion of St. Mary Magdalene is located in her native town, the village of Magdala, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  On 4 August, the saint's feast day, Metropolitan Cyriacus of Nazareth led the Divine Liturgy in the metochion of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.  Serving with him were the secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate's Mission, Hieromonk Anthony (Gutnik) and clergymen of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.  After the conclusion of the Liturgy, a procession to the spring of Mary Magdalene was organized, and there a service of supplication was performed, reports the site of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.

On the same day, the patronal feast was also celebrated in the Russian Convent of St. Mary Magdalene, in Gethsemane.  The all-night vigil and the Divine Liturgy were presided over by Archbishop Mark of Berlin & Germany, the Overseer of the Mission of the Russian Church Abroad in the Holy Land, with Archimandrite Isidore (Mikheev), the Chief of the Moscow Patriarchate's Mission, clergy of the Convent and priests on pilgrimage, concelebrating.  After the Divine Liturgy, there was a procession around the church.