II. VIDEOS OF DIVINE SERVICES IN RUSSIA
DESCRIPTION:
This rare and unusual video demonstrates the tremendous faith and spiritual vitality of the Orthodox Church in Russia. The feast-day of St. Mitrophan, Bishop of Voronezh, one of the two saints of Voronezh (the other saint is better known - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk - who also had been Bishop of Voronezh, prior to his moving to the monastery at Zadonsk) fell on a Sunday the year this videotape was made, and the church was jam-packed, with an overflow of hundreds more outside the open doors.
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Included are: |
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on Saturday night, portions of the Great Vespers and Litya ; |
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on Sunday morning -- the arrival, greeting and vesting of Metropolitan Mifodi of Voronezh (complete); |
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the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy (almost complete); |
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the ordination of a deacon; |
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and excerpts of the Moleben to St. Mitrophan of Voronezh, during which the clergy stand in the center, in front of the saint's large icon. |
The services are videotaped from the solea, from the choir loft, and from the center of the nave. (Because of the crowds, packed like sardines in 95-degree heat, movement was very limited.) The Services are sung by the cathedral's most superb choir, with considerable inspiring, thunderous congregational singing, led by a deacon. (In Russia, the people always SING - and never simply say - the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and various other hymns/prayers.)
Sixteen priests from throughout the diocese, four deacons and five sub-deacons, plus the sub-deacon who is ordained a deacon, are serving with Metropolitan Mifodi at this celebration of the feast-day of one of the major saints of the region.