CAPERNAUM: July 14, 2007
On the Feast Day of SS Peter and Paul, the Pilgrims of the Russian Church Abroad Took Part in Divine Liturgy Celebrated in the Patriarchal Rite

On July 12, 2007, the feast day of SS Peter and Paul, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Capernaum as the young pilgrims of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia sang. During the solemn Liturgy, the choir, directed by Michael Gil, sang Dimitry Bortnyansky's Cherubic Hymn No. 7 and other works of Russian composers and our monastic chants. After Liturgy, Monk Irinarchos, a resident clergyman who always sympathized greatly with the clergy and flock of the Russian Church Abroad, hosted a reception in honor of His Beatitude, His Grace Bishop Peter and the visiting pilgrims, who were all there to celebrate his church's feast day. After the meal, the pilgrims of "In the Footsteps of Moses" traveled to Tiveriad, where they visited another church dedicated to the Apostles, and then venerated the holy sites of Galilee, which are connected with many miracles performed by our Lord Jesus Christ as the Gospel reveals to us. At the site of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves, Bishop Peter led a moleben, at the end of which he congratulated the pilgrims celebrating their namesday, Peter Markevich and Peter Wolkow, intoning Many Years to them.

That evening, the pilgrims congratulated Bishop Peter on the anniversary of his episcopal consecration and gave him a panaghia.