Sihăstria, Romania, April 23, 2020
On Bright Tuesday, the third day of Holy Pascha, the wonderworking Axion Estin (It is Truly Meet) Icon of the Mother of God from Romania’s famous Sihăstria Monastery was carried in procession, with the monks entreating God for relief from the coronavirus pandemic and drought.
The procession took place after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, with the monks stopping at six points to offer prayers and litanies for the driving away of the pandemic, the healing of the sick, and for rain, reports Doxologia.ro.
The procession began and ended at the monastery cathedral, with stops at the cemetery, the agricultural fields, the cell of the greatly-revered Elder Cleopa (Ilie), the guesthouse, and the old church.
The holy march was held, “To ask for God’s help and the mercy of the Mother of God in order to get through these difficult times, to get out of this state of sorrow, to pray more together, and to get out of the monotony of the present situation through a more intense prayer, with more hope,” explained the abbot, Archimandrite Arsenie Popa.
The Sihăstria Axion Estin Icon was painted by a Romanian monk on Mt. Athos in the early 20th century. It is normally housed in the nave of the old church at the monastery.
Elder Cleopa was witness to a number of miracles worked by the Mother of God through her precious icon.
