Bangkok, Thailand, December 23, 2019
Photo: pravoslavie.ru
In honor of the 20th anniversary of Orthodoxy in Thailand, the faithful of the Thai Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church are blessed to have a piece of the Mother of God with them for a month.
On December 19, the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and Southeast Asia, the administrator of the Thai Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Nicholas in Bangkok. Before the Liturgy, the precious relic of the Mother of God was festively greeted at the church, after which Met. Sergius consecrated the church’s attached chapel in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh, reports Patriarchia.ru.
Met. Sergius was concelebrated by Archbishop Theophan of Korea and a number of Thai and Southeast Asia clergymen.
During the Augmented Litany, petitions were raised for the unity of the Orthodox Church and its preservation from divisions and schisms. Met. Sergius also offered a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
At the end of the service, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), the Secretary of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia, gave Met. Sergius an icon of the Theotokos painted by the local faithful. In turn, His Eminence thanked Fr. Oleg for his zealous ministry in Thailand. He also gifted a chalice set to the Church of St. Nicholas.
The same day, Met. Sergius went to the Institute for Child Health to visit children and their parents in the children’s ICU, and also to meet with the medical staff.
The reliquary with the piece of the Belt of the Mother of God will remain in Thailand until January 19, visiting 7 parishes in that time.
