Anga, Irkutsk Province, Russia, September 14, 2022
iemp.ru
The 225th anniversary of the birth of St. Innocent of Moscow, the great Apostle to America, was celebrated in his Siberian hometown last week.
The Divine Liturgy in honor of the Holy Hierarch was celebrated on Thursday, September 8, by His Eminence Metropolitan Maximilian of Irkutsk and His Grace Bishop Innokenty of Alexandrov in the village of Anga, Irkutsk Province, reports the Diocese of Irkutsk.
iemp.ru
Bp. Innokenty noted in his remarks following the service that it’s becoming more and more popular for pilgrims to visit Anga on St. Innocent’s birthday.
The hierarch also expressed his delight at the missionary project carried out by the St. Innocent Cultural and Educational Center in Anga, hailing it as a direct successor of St. Innocent’s own missionary work.
The Center was opened five years ago, in celebration of the 220th anniversary of St. Innocent’s birth. Last year, the celebration at the Center was joined by an American delegation including both OCA and ROCOR clergy who opened an exhibition in honor of St. Innocent and his legacy at Fort Ross in California.
iemp.ru
The Center also had a full schedule of festive events this year, including the cancelation of stamps issued specifically in honor of St. Innocent, and the traditional planting of cedar trees. In the nearby village of Kachug, a cartoon and a children’s book about the Holy Hierarch were presented.
The festive events continued the next two days, ending on Saturday with a moleben and procession in Anga and a series of artistic presentations.
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