Russian
The wonderworking myrrh-streaming icon of the Most Holy Mother of God “The Softening of Evil Hearts” arrived in Vancouver, brought by Sergei Leonidovich Fomin, from the village of Bachurino outside Moscow on Tuesday, September 10-th, 2013. The icon, upon arriving in Canada, first visited Toronto and Ottawa. In Toronto the icon was present at the solemn celebration dedicated to the 400-th Anniversary of the Royal House of Romanoff together with the Kursk-Root wonderworking icon and was also present at a meeting of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, held there.
That Tuesday evening in Vancouver, the icon arrived at Holy Trinity Church on Campbell Avenue by 6 p.m. where it was met with spiritual and heartfelt joy and was present in the centre of the church for the evening Vigil service for the feast commemorating the Beheading of St. John the Forerunner.
On Wednesday, September 11-th, the day of the Beheading of St. John the Forerunner, the wonderworking icon was present during the Divine Liturgy. The Liturgy was celebrated by the Rector of our church, Archpriest Serge Overt assisted by Protodeacon Christopher Birchall and Deacon George Zharikov. In church among many who came to pray that morning were Archpriest John Adams from the Saint Sophia Church (ROCOR) in Victoria, B.C., Deacon Gordian Bruce from the same parish, and many who came from Vancouver Island. Also present were, Archpriest Michael Gillis, Rector of the Holy Nativity Church (Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, Patriarchate of Antioch) in Langley, B.C. with some of his flock and many Orthodox people from Orthodox parishes in and around Vancouver. At the conclusion of the Liturgy a Moleben was served to the Most Holy Mother of God before the wonderworking icon.
That Wednesday evening, the wonderworking icon was taken to the Saint Nicholas Church on 13-th Avenue. The Rectors of Holy Trinity Church, Archpriest Serge Overt and Saint Nicholas Church, Priest Evstafiy Hripunov, together with Deacon Andreas Maier celebrated a Moleben with Akathist before the wonderworking icon.
On Thursday evening, September 12-th, the icon was again brought to Holy Trinity Church and a Moleben with Akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God was concelebrated by the Rector, Archpriest Serge Overt and the Rector of the Holy Resurrection Sobor (Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America/OCA) on 43-rd Avenue in Vancouver, Archpriest Michael Fourik. Present, praying in church, was the Abbess Efpraxia who had traveled from south of the border, from the Saint John the Forerunner Convent (Greek Archdiocese of America, Patriarchate of Constantinople) in Goldendale, Washington, U.S.A., as well as many praying faithful from many other Orthodox parishes of various different Orthodox jurisdictions. At all evening services, when the wonderworking icon was present, the people were anointed with holy myrrh from the icon.
Video of the Moleben with Akathist at Holy Trinity Church.
On Friday morning, September 13-th, the icon left Vancouver for Calgary and then further to visit the parishes across the ROCOR Diocese of Montreal and Canada.
