Ukraine bids farewell to Kursk Root Icon of Theotokos
The Wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon of the mother of God “The Sign” stayed in Kyiv from May 13 through 25. In particular, on 13 – 22 May the shrine remained at the wooden Church of All Saints situated in the construction site of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of the UOC (Kyiv, Zaliznychne shosse 3), and on 22-25 May – at the Cathedral of Sumy.
13 May the Theotokos Icon was delivered to the capital of Ukraine from Munich by the delegation of the Russia Orthodox Church Abroad, led by His Eminence Mark, Archbishop of Berlin and All Germany and of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by deputy chairman of the Department for External Church relations of the UOC, His Grace Alexander, Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy.
On that day the wonderworking icon was met at the construction site of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of the UOC by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr and the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of East America and New-York together with the clergy of the capital city, following which a prayer service was performed beside the wooden church of All Saints.
16 May at the Church of All Saints, where the Kursk Root Icon stayed, His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr celebrated the divine liturgy.
22 May at the Church of all Saints the Kyivans solemnly bid farewell to the wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon. The same day the icon was delivered to the Cathedral of Holy Transfiguration of Our Savior in Sumy.
23- 25 May the Divine Liturgies were performed at the wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” at the Cathedral of Holy Transfiguration of Our Savior in Sumy.
25 May after the Liturgy the prayer service was conducted, following which the shrine was carried in a sacred procession to the borderline between the regions of Sumy and Kursk.
The Most-Holy Mother of God must always return to walk along the paths leading to the Miracle Springs of her origins. It is then that her true miracle working powers are refreshed and she hears all who pray to her!