Patriarch of Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel leads canonization of Church of Virgin Mary in Moscow

MOSCOW — On Sunday, during his visit to Russia, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel led the canonization service at the Church of the Virgin Mary in Moscow, affiliated with the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Russia, following extensive renovation and restoration efforts.

Assisting him in the ceremony were Bishop of the Diocese of Syria Mar Afram Ethniel, and Bishop of the Diocese of Iran, Armenia, and Georgia Mar Narsai Benjamin.

The ceremony was attended by an official delegation from the Russian Orthodox Church led by Bishop Clement of Temnikov. Also in attendance were Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Qahtan al-Janabi, Representative of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) to Russia Dinar Abu Bakr, Consul of the Palestine Embassy in Russia Abdul Hafeez Nofal, and a considerable number of members of the Assyrian Church of the East in Moscow.

This ceremony took place concurrently with the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Church of the Virgin Mary in Moscow, a momentous event officially inaugurated by Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV in 1998.