Bois Salair, France, and Klausen, Germany, September 25, 2025
Photo: Serbian Diocese of Western Europe
Two Orthodox monasteries in France and Germany marked their patronal feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on September 21, with special consecration ceremonies.
At the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Bois Salair, France, the patronal celebration began with an All-Night Vigil the night before, followed by the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Grace Bishop Justin of Paris and Western Europe of the Serbian Church and His Grace Bishop Syméon of Domodedovo of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Archdiocese of Orthodox Churches of Russian Tradition in Western Europe, reports the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Photo: Serbian Diocese of Western Europe
Clergy from several Local Churches concelebrated the service.
Before the Divine Liturgy, Bp. Justin consecrated new frescoes in the monastery church, which were completed this year through God’s help and the donations of the faithful. The Slava bread was blessed, and all present faithful were invited to the feast of love prepared by the monastery sisterhood.
The Bois Salair monastery community established itself at its current estate in January 2014, after previously living in a former convent in Godoncourt in the Vosges region.
Met. John at the monastery in Klausen. Photo: archeveche.eu
At the Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in Klausen, Germany, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna of the aforementioned Archdiocese of Orthodox Churches of Russian Tradition in Western Europe made a pastoral visit for the patronal feast. On Sunday, September 21, he presided over the consecration of the altar of the monastery’s second church, dedicated to the feast of Theophany, the Archdiocese reports.
Before the Liturgy, Met. John tonsured two readers for the community. After the service, he presented an icon to the servants of God Alexei and Elisaveta Karmakovy, benefactors of the monastery, in gratitude for their support of this holy place dedicated to the presence of the Mother of God. In return, Alexei and Elisaveta offered the monastery a reliquary containing a piece of the Theotokos’ veil from Mt. Athos.
Photo: archeveche.eu
A generous meal was offered to all pilgrims who came in large numbers for the feast by Ukrainian refugee parishioners living at the monastery.
The Klausen monastery opened in August 2022. According to local tradition, the church was built on the site of an appearance of the Mother of God, and a monastery existed on the same site in the 17th century. The location is also situated along the medieval St. James Way pilgrimage route.
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