SOUTH AMERICAN DIOCESE: February 15, 2016
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia Celebrates Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord at Protection Church in the capital of Paraguay

On February 15th, 2016, the feast day of the Meeting of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Protection of the Most-Holy Mother of God of the Diocese of South America and Caracas of the Russian Church Abroad in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay.

Due to the limited space in the church, which was built in 1920 by Russian immigrants in the historic center of the capital of Paraguay, several bishops served at an altar table set in the center of the church in front of the iconostasis, while worshipers prayed in the courtyard before the church, on Nuestra Senora Street. The services were streamed live on a large screen outside.

Among those worshiping were members of the Russian Association in Paraguay and their descendants, Russian immigrants and their relatives and members of the Russian embassy. The Orthodox Christians of Asuncion enthusiastically greeted His Holiness. He was joined by several hierarchs, including His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; His Eminence Metropolitan Antony of Borispol and Brovarsk, Administrator of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland; His Grace Bishop Sergei of Solnechnogorsk, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America, Rector of Protection Church; His Grace Bishop George of Canberra; His Grace Bishop Leonid of Argentina and South America; His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; His Grace Bishop Anthony of Bogorodsk, head of the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate for International Institutions; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), Deputy President of the DECR; Priest Alexander Volkov, Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Priest Maxim Boyarov, Rector of the Church of All Saints of Russia in Buenos Aires.

In attendance was also Mr NK Tavdumadze, Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Paraguay; Mr Fleisher-Shevelev, Consul Emeritus of the Russian Federation to Paraguay; Apostolic Nuncio Elizio Antonio Ariotti; Archbishop Edmundo Ponsiano Valenzuela Mellid of Asuncion, and His Grace Bishop Adalberto Martinez Flores of the Military Ordinariat.

The singing was performed by a choir of the Moscow Patriarchate under the direction of Priest Sergei Golev.

The Gospel, Epistle reading, the Creed and Our Father were read and sung in Spanish.

Bishop John then delivered a sermon in which he said: “I am happy to greet Your Holiness to the South American Diocese, the heart of South America, Paraguay. This is an historic event for all of us, a great joy, and an opportunity to express the unity of the Russian church. We often feel isolated and forgotten in this region, but we see that Your Holiness has fatherly love for us. I would like to thank you for your paternal care, expressed in your visit to this continent.”

His Holiness then addressed the worshippers. As a gift, His Holiness gave the church an icon of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow. Expressing his own thanks to Bishop John for his efforts, the Primate of the Russian Church gave him a memorial panaghia dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the death of Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles. His Holiness also gave Memorial panaghias to Bishop Peter, Bishop George and Bishop Nicholas. Also, printed icons of Christ the Savior blessed by the Patriarch were distributed to the worshipers. His Holiness also gave gifts to representatives of the Roman Catholic Church of Paraguay, medals commemorating the visit of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to Latin America, and a book on the life of His Holiness.

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The Parish of the Protection of the Most-Holy Mother of God in Asuncion was established by Russian immigrants at the initiative of Major General Nikolai Erna in 1924. In 1926, there was a general gathering of Russian Orthodox Christians of Asuncion and the provinces of the Republic of Paraguay. On October 26th, 1928, the Church of the Protection of the Most-Holy Mother of God was consecrated. The parish by-laws were adopted and duly registered.

After the end of the war between Paraguay and Bolivia, 1932-1935, 6 small plaques were hung on the church walls with the names of six Russian officers who gave their lives in the war.

1940-1960 was the golden age of the parish of Asuncion. The 1940s saw the establishment of the Association of White Russians, a Russian library, a Russian choir and theater. In the 1960s, due to the assimilation of Russians, the situation changed. Members of the first wave of immigrants passed to the next life, their children and grandchildren dedicated less time to associating with each other, which led to the parish’s decline. During this period Russians in Asuncion enjoyed the favor of government, headed by President General Alfredo Stressner. The Rector of Protection Church, Protopriest John Petrov was the only Russian Orthodox priest in the nation, which contained five churches.

In 1982, Fr John was tonsured with the name Innokenty, after which he was consecrated Bishop of Asuncion, Vicar of the Argentinian Diocese.

On November 16th, 2008, Bishop John of Caracas was appointed Rector of the church.

From June 30th to July 3rd, 2011, as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the independence of Paraguay, an official visit was made by His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.