The Zimne icon of the Mother of God solemnly met in Odessa

On July 2, with the blessing of His Beatitude Onufry, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, a great shrine of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Zimne– arrived in Odessa, reports the website of the diocese.

At the entrance to the Holy Dormition Cathedral of Odessa to the bell ringing the miraculous icon was solemnly met by His Eminence Agafangel, Metropolitan of Odessa and Izmail, as well as vicar bishops, the rector of the theological seminary and numerous clergy.

Vladyka Agafangel led the Divine Liturgy, during which prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine. At the end of the service, a festive moleben was served before the Zimne icon, after which Metropolitan Agafangel turned to numerous believers with an archpastoral word.

"Today the heavens rejoice and the earth rejoices because the Queen of Heaven arrived in our God-protected Odessa in Her miraculous Zimne image," said the Metropolitan of Odessa and Izmail. "The coming of the Mother of God is a great holiday for each of us, and that is why the heart beats so joyfully, contemplating this great shrine of the Orthodox world, written, according to legend, by the holy apostle and evangelist Luke. This is the same icon that Patriarch of Constantinople blessed the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir for a marriage with the Greek princess Anna."

Until July 8, the miraculous image will stay in the temple of Odessa.

More than a thousand-year history of this shrine is associated with much evidence of the help of the Blessed Lady to people. The icon usually resides in the ancient Zimne convent in Volyn, where the sisters pray for peace in our land.

On July 27-28 in Kiev, there will be celebrations dedicated to the memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir and the anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. Festive events in Kiev will be preceded by religious processions with ancient images and newly-revealed shrines of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. During July, the processions will be held in the cathedral cities of all the UOC dioceses and end with the general Cross Procession in Kiev (from the Vladimir Hill to the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra).