On the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, the vicar celebrated the Liturgy at Miami Cathedral

On October 14, one of the great feasts of the Orthodox Church – the Protection of the Mother of God, the vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate of America, Archimandrite Alexander (Belya), elected Bishop of Nicopolis, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Matrona Cathedral in Miami, Florida.

He was assisted by the clergyman of the church, Priest Ioann Zeikan.

On this day, believers commemorate the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God in the 10th century at the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae in Constantinople. During the siege of the city by foreigners, the Mother of God appeared above those praying, spreading her omophorion—her veil—over them as a sign of protection and intercession for the entire Christian race.

At the end of the service, the clergy performed a prayer service to the Most Holy Mother of God, after which Father Alexander congratulated the faithful on the holiday and emphasized that the protection of the Mother of God extends over everyone who calls upon her with faith and love.