MINSK, 27 February (BelTA) – A reliquary containing a portion of the Cincture of the Most Holy Theotokos will be brought to Belarus for veneration, BelTA learned from the website of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
A great shrine of the Christian world - the ark containing a portion of the Cincture of the Most Holy Theotokos and parts of the relics of the parents of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the holy and righteous Joachim and Anna - will be brought, with the blessing of Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, from the Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. For 2,000 years, this shrine has remained for believers a clear testimony of God’s mercy. Before it, they pray for healing, comfort in times of trouble, and intercession in difficult family circumstances. Special hope for the help of the Mother of God and the holy righteous Joachim and Anna is placed by those who pray for deliverance from infertility and the long-awaited gift of children.
The Belarusian Orthodox Church said that the upcoming event is of exceptional significance. In 2024, it was an event of a national scale: at that time, multi-thousand queues formed at churches across the country, with people waiting for hours for the opportunity to venerate the shrine. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians testified to the special spiritual joy that the prayerful presence of the Mother of God bestows.
“By the grace of God, this ark will again be brought to Belarus and will stay here from 4 March to 11 April where believers from different cities will be able to venerate this great shrine of the Christian world, asking the Mother of God for help and intercession,” the Belarusian Orthodox Church noted.
A great shrine of the Christian world - the ark containing a portion of the Cincture of the Most Holy Theotokos and parts of the relics of the parents of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the holy and righteous Joachim and Anna - will be brought, with the blessing of Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, from the Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. For 2,000 years, this shrine has remained for believers a clear testimony of God’s mercy. Before it, they pray for healing, comfort in times of trouble, and intercession in difficult family circumstances. Special hope for the help of the Mother of God and the holy righteous Joachim and Anna is placed by those who pray for deliverance from infertility and the long-awaited gift of children.
The Belarusian Orthodox Church said that the upcoming event is of exceptional significance. In 2024, it was an event of a national scale: at that time, multi-thousand queues formed at churches across the country, with people waiting for hours for the opportunity to venerate the shrine. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians testified to the special spiritual joy that the prayerful presence of the Mother of God bestows.
“By the grace of God, this ark will again be brought to Belarus and will stay here from 4 March to 11 April where believers from different cities will be able to venerate this great shrine of the Christian world, asking the Mother of God for help and intercession,” the Belarusian Orthodox Church noted.
Details of the relic’s journey are available on the website of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The ark will reside at Minsk’s Holy Spirit Cathedral on 4-8 March. Visiting hours for prayer: 4 March – from noon to 11 p.m.; 5-7 March – from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; 8 March – from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The relic will then be transferred to the Borisov Diocese, where it will stay on 9-10 March. It will then be handed over to the Molodechno Diocese on 11-12 March, to the Vitebsk Diocese on 13-15 March, to the Polotsk Diocese on 16-17 March, to the Grodno Diocese on 18-20 March, to the Lida Diocese on 21-22 March, to the Novogrudok Diocese on 23-24 March, to the Zhirovichi Monastery on 25 March, to the Brest Diocese on 26-28 March, to the Pinsk Diocese on 29-30 March, to the Turov Diocese (the city of Mozyr) on 31 March-1 April, to the Gomel Diocese on 2-4 April, to the Bobruisk Diocese on 5-6 April, to the Slutsk Diocese on 7-8 April, and to the Mogilev Diocese on 9-11 April.
The relic will then be transferred to the Borisov Diocese, where it will stay on 9-10 March. It will then be handed over to the Molodechno Diocese on 11-12 March, to the Vitebsk Diocese on 13-15 March, to the Polotsk Diocese on 16-17 March, to the Grodno Diocese on 18-20 March, to the Lida Diocese on 21-22 March, to the Novogrudok Diocese on 23-24 March, to the Zhirovichi Monastery on 25 March, to the Brest Diocese on 26-28 March, to the Pinsk Diocese on 29-30 March, to the Turov Diocese (the city of Mozyr) on 31 March-1 April, to the Gomel Diocese on 2-4 April, to the Bobruisk Diocese on 5-6 April, to the Slutsk Diocese on 7-8 April, and to the Mogilev Diocese on 9-11 April.
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