The Icon of the Placing of the Robe and Belt of the Theotokos to visit the British Diocese

10 Oct, 2017 | British Isles News and Events

October 1/14
Feast of Pokrov
Visit of the Icon of the Placing of the Venerable Robe and Belt of the Mother of God at Blachernae 

An especially revered icon, containing a fragment of the Belt of the Theotokos, will be visiting our Diocese around the time of the Feast, by special arrangement with the Holy Synod of Bishops.

The Icon of the Placing of the Robe of the Theotokos

Services at the London Cathedral:

  • Thursday 12th October: Moleben and Akathist before the icon at 18:15
  • Friday 13th October: Vigil with Akathist at 18:15
  • Saturday 14th October: Festal Hierarchal Liturgy at 09:00

Services in East Anglia:

  • Saturday 14th October: Vigil at St John the Wonderworker, Colchester
  • Sunday 15th October: Divine Liturgy at Colchester
  • Monday 16th October: Moleben and Akathist at Norwich at 18:00

The icon that will be visiting during and immediately after Pokrov is called “The Placing of the Venerable Robe and Belt of the Theotokos at Blachernae” (положение честныя ризы и пояса Прясвятыя Богородицы во Влахерне), and a photograph is above. The portion of the belt of the Theotokos that is enshrined in the icon was kept for many years by the recently-reposed hymnographer of our Church, Monk Joseph (known better by his name before tonsure: Reader Isaac Lambertson). He guarded this relic of the Mother of God for many years before entrusting it to the care of the Synodal Cathedral in New York. When it visited Russia, people stood in queues for hours to venerate the belt of the Theotokos.

The icon and relic will be in our Cathedral for an akafist on the eve of Pokrov (13th October), and the day before, and on Pokrov itself (14th October) Please check the Cathedral website for times of services;  Fr Andrew will be coming to Harvard Road on Saturday 14th October and will be taking the Icon to Colchester after the Hierarchal Liturgy. The Vigil service on the 14th will be celebrated in front of it in St John’s Church in Colchester and also the Liturgy on Sunday 15th. On Monday16th, at 18:00, there will be a moleben and akathist in the Norwich parish in front of Her. Fr Andrew hopes to take the icon to Mettingham either before or after that service on Monday.  He will bring  the icon back to Fr Dionysy on Tuesday or Wednesday to return it to New York.