Patriarch Mar Awa III Royel presides over ordination of two deacons for Assyrian Church of the East in Moscow

MOSCOW — During his pastoral visit to Moscow, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel presided over the ordination ceremony of two deacons at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Moscow. The newly ordained deacons are Yousif, assigned to serve the parish of St. John the Baptist Church in Rostov, and Archdeacon Alexander, assigned to serve the parish of St. Mary the Virgin Church. The Patriarch was assisted in the ordination rite by Metropolitan of Syria Mar Afram Athneil and Bishop of Iran, Armenia, and Georgia Mar Narsai Benyamin. 

After the ordination, Metropolitan Athneil celebrated the Holy Eucharist. 

Participating in the celebration were Archpriest Saman Odesho, Father Petros Petros, and Father Ephrem al-Khas. 

Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church also attended the event, including Bishop of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikov Bishop Kliment, who is also Co-Chair of the Joint Dialogue Commission between the Assyrian Church of the East and the Russian Orthodox Church. Also present were Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations in the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and Secretary of the Joint Dialogue Commission Hieromonk Stefan Igumnov and member of the Department for External Church Relations Sergey Alferov. 

A large number of members of the Moscow parish attended the liturgy. 

After the service, Patriarch Royel blessed the new church bell of St. Mary the Virgin Church.