2007-06-04 12:19:00

Alexy II's portrait exuded myrrh on Trinity Day

Moscow, June 4, Interfax - Droplets of myrrh came out on the portrait of Patriarch Alexy II on the Trinity Day in the church of St. Alexander Nevsky at the town of Nizhniaya Salda near Yekaterinburg.

'It is a sign of God! The Lord himself has marked the patriarch's image to strengthen our faith!' parishioners say as cited by the Tvoy Den newspaper.

Alexy II's portrait was put in the church next to the iconostasis three years ago. Passing by the church shop at the Church of Christ-on-the-Blood in Yekaterinburg, the rector of the church in Nizhniaya Salda, Father Mikhail Parygin, had seen the primate's portrait in wooden setting in a shop window.

'My heart rejoiced when I saw the image of His Holiness. I bought it immediately, as if angels stopped me before it', Father Mikhail says.

The miraculous myrrh emanation was discovered by parishioners. The portrait began exhaling fragrance shortly before matins.

'I came the other day to the church to pray for the health of my relatives. As usual, I came up to Alexy II's portrait and suddenly saw droplets of myrrh coming out of the patriarch's picture. I had a lump in my throat. I ran to Father Mikhail straight away to tell him about the miracle', parishioner Lyubov Ivanovna relates.

The priest admitted that he first refused to believe what the woman said and only after coming to Patriarch Alexy's image, he 'went numb as he saw myrrh trickling down in small drops from the right bottom corner of the portrait'.

Having learnt about an image of Alexy II exuding myrrh, Archbishop Vikenty of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye came to Nizhniaya Salda.

Having seen the emanation with his own eyes, the archbishop said, 'The myrrh may mean the tears of joy. It is through the efforts of His Holiness that the Russian Orthodox Church has united, and the Lord is rejoicing in His children'.