April 19, 2016
Georgia-Florida: Myrrh-Streaming Mother of God Icon "Softener of
Evil Hearts" performs Visitation through Diocese’s Southernmost
States
As
part of her ongoing visitation to the parishes and monasteries of
the Eastern American Diocese, the myrrh-streaming Icon of the Mother
of God "Softener of Evil Hearts" has been traveling through the
Diocese’s southernmost states.
On the evening of April 8, the wonderworking icon was greeted by
Priest Eugene Antonov, rector of
Joy
of All Who Sorrow Church in Atlanta, GA. The following day,
Saturday, April 9, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church,
in the presence of the holy image. That same day, the icon departed
for the neighboring
St.
Mary of Egypt Church, where the clergy and faithful prayed
before the myrrh-streaming image both that evening and at Liturgy on
the Sunday of the Venerable John of the Ladder, April 10.
On
Monday, April 11, the Icon began its visitation to the churches of
Florida. The holy Icon’s first visit was to St. Gregory the
Theologian Church (MP) in Tampa, where she was greeted by the
rector, Archpriest Andrey Kovalev. Many of the faithful gathered
around the church, and the parish children laid down a path of rose
petals for the Icon.
On
Tuesday, April 12, the Icon traveled by air from Tampa to
Jacksonville and Palm Coast. Accompanying Fr. Andrey in the aerial
procession was the Icon’s guardian, Sergey Fomin. Throughout the
flight, the Icon streamed myrrh abundantly.
The Icon’s first stop was in Jacksonville; the Icon was greeted by
the rector of Holy Annunciation Mission (OCA), Hieromonk Arkady
(Migunov). The moleben and akathist were served in the presence of
many parishioners.
In
Palm Coast, the Icon was greeted at the airport terminal by the
rector of nearby
St.
Nicholas Church, Priest Vladimir Kaydanov, who proceeded with
the Icon and those accompanying her to the church. There, the
faithful gathered for a moleben and akathist before the
myrrh-streaming Icon. At all of the parishes, the priests anointed
the faithful with holy myrrh from the Icon.
On Thursday, April 14, the myrrh-streaming Icon visited St. Nicholas
Monastery in North Fort Myers, as well as the Softener of Evil
Hearts Mission in Cape Coral. On Friday, April 15, the Icon would
arrive in Miami, where it remained until April 18, when she
completes her visits to the local parishes.
Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese
