« The faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church are called to pray with His Holiness the Patriarch, in their homes, during His Holiness tour around Moscow with the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God “Tenderness” »

His Holiness the Patriarch makes an appeal to all believers, to pray together, while staying in their homes, from 2.00pm London time (4.00pm in Moscow) on Friday, April 3, 2020, starting by reading the akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God with an addition of a prayer for getting rid of  the coronavirus infection.

On Friday, April 3, 2020, on the eve of the feast of the Praise to the Mother of God (Akathist Saturday), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will bring the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" from its place in the Vladimir Cross Church of the Patriarchal Residence in Chisty Lane to the Epiphany Cathedral  in Elokhovo, Moscow.

His Holiness will begin a tour around the city of Moscow with the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness”, in front of which Monk Seraphim of Sarov prayed, and will arrive with the icon to the Elokhovo Epiphany Cathedral, where matins of the feast of the Praise to the Most Holy Mother of God will begin at 4.00pm (6.00pm Moscow time).

The bringing of the “Tenderness” icon and the divine service will be broadcasted live by TV channels Spas and Soyuz as well as by Patriarchia.ru, official website of the Russian Orthodox Church.

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The Icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” is a cell icon of Monk Seraphim of Sarov.  The icon was acquired by Monk Seraphim in the Sarov forests.  He called her "The Joy of All Joys."  A miraculous image was in his monastery cell, it was in front of this icon that the Saint departed to the Lord on January 2 (14), 1833.

In the written memoirs of St. Seraphim's contemporaries, the icon is mentioned in description of the last period of his life, when, having left the solitary confinement in 1815, he began to receive in his cell all those who sought conversation and teaching.  After a joint repentant prayer and blessing, St. Seraphim usually anointed crosswise the brow of a person coming to see him with oil from the oil lamp that was burning in front of the icon.

After the death of St. Seraphim, the icon “Tenderness” was transferred to the Diveyevo convent, and the miraculous image became the main shrine of the monastery.  In the 19th century, believers traveled hundreds and thousands kilometers on foot to worship the icon.

In 1927, the Diveyevo monastery was closed, but the holy icon was secretly taken out, and for decades, it was kept by pious people.  In June 1991, the icon was transferred to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II.  Nowadays, it is permanently located at the Patriarchal working residence in Chisty Lane.  Once a year - on the occasion of the Praise to the Most Holy Mother of God (celebrated on the 5th Saturday of the Great Lent) - the St. Seraphim-Diveyevo icon “Tenderness” is brought out to the Elokhovo Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow for public worship.