NEFTEKAMSK, RUSSIA: October 19, 2015
Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan Celebrates Divine Liturgy with the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" at Neftekamsk Cathedral

On October 18, 2015, the 20th Sunday of Pentecost, the second day of the visit of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" to Neftekamsk Diocese, Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, headed by His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan and His Grace Bishop Amvrosy of Neftekamsk and Birsk.

The hierarchs were joined by members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia accompanying the holy icon: Mitred Protopriest Stefan Pavlenko, Rector of the Church of All Russian Saints in Burlingame, CA, of the Western American Diocese of ROCOR; Protopriest Vladimir Boikov, Rector of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Balmoral (Auckland) and Dean of New Zealand of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand; Priest James Carles, Rector of St Panteleimon Church in Central Coast, Gosford, NSW, Australia, and Protodeacon Alexander Kichakoff of Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Chicago, IL, of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America.

The cathedral’s choir sang under the direction of Olga Vlasova.

At the end of Liturgy, Vladyka Nicholas thanked Vladyka Amvrosy, the clergymen of the diocese and the worshipers for their joint prayer. In his response, Vladyka Amvrosy thanked Vladyka Nicholas for bringing the holy image of the Most-Holy Mother of God to the Russian land in general, and specifically to his diocese. The two bishops then led a moleben to the Kursk-Root Icon of the Queen of Heaven.

For the entire duration of the visit of the miracle-working icon to Neftekamsk, akathists were read to the Mother of God. Later that evening, the icon was taken to the city of Oktyabrsky.