Donetsk, October 19, 2014
The Convent of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Donetsk is being continuously shelled. It is situated near the airport where there is an ongoing fighting in spite of the truce declared not long ago, reports the Zvezda (“The Star”) TV channel.
There is only one inaccuracy in the TV story of Zvezda: the Wonder-Working Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, the main shrine of the convent, painted on Holy Mount Athos at the request and with the blessing of the famous elder Schema-Archimandrite Zosima (Sokur; 1944-2002), has left the convent.
The icon is temporarily staying in Larinka village, the convent informs. From the feast of the Protection to October 26, the feast of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, the convent sisters and parishioners will be praying hard so that the Holy Theotokos might reveal Her will as to where this holy icon should be kept afterwards.
One of the volunteer corps members who currently guards the church has reported that the convent is regularly shelled from the airport side. “Every day they fire at us, lay mines and other ammunition,” the self-defense forces representative related.
The church is in half-ruined state. Shells shatter windows, damage walls, icons are hit by shrapnel.
About the main shrine of the convent
Through the efforts of late elder Zosima (Sokur) a request was made to paint a copy of the Wonder-Working Iveron Icon of the Mother of God on Holy Mount Athos, reports Donbass Pravoslavny.
The copy of the wonder-working icon was painted by Monk Yannis from the Russian St. Panteleimon’s Monastery on Mt. Athos with observance of all the canons of icon-painting (fasting, prayer, pouring of holy water over the icon board, mixing the colors with holy water, celebration of Liturgies).
Miracles and healings from this copy of the wonder-working icon have been witnessed. With the joint efforts of generous donors and those people whose prayer requests to Holy Theotokos were fulfilled, the icon was adorned with golden crowns (garlands). After the cross procession the icon was installed at the Holy Iveron Convent.
