Fifth Annual Feast of “The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos in Pakistan”

“Let us celebrate with joy and feel blessed as we all are saved by the intercessions of the Most Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary”!

by Father Joseph (ROCOR Priest in Pakistan)

With the blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia in Pakistan, on August, 28, 2018, the feast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary was celebrated in Pakistan. With full devotion and faithfulness, the congregation of Saint Sergius of Radonezh Orthodox Church Sargodha participated in the joyful celebration of the feast day. The feast of Dormition joyfully began with a moleben of thanksgiving, with big procession followed by festive Divine Liturgy.

On this feast, special prayers were offered for the health and many blessed years of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia Shepherd of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, and First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Special prayers were also offered for peace in our families, in our local community, and in the world and in the suffering countries.

The Feast of Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God has become very popular tradition of Saint Sergius Orthodox Church Sargodha. For the last 4 years we are celebrating this feast with big procession and large gathering of faithful and catechumens.

After the Divine Liturgy Fr. Joseph Farooq preached the orthodox faithful about the Dormition feast celebrated according to the holy traditions of the Mother Church (Russia). The faithful were taught that the commemoration of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos started with strict fasting and abstinence of meat, dairy products, oil and wine and further the following aspects were preached:

 The Protectress of human race
 The union of the Most Pure Mother of the Lord with Her Son
 The relations of the Most Holy Theotokos with Holy places
 Dormition Fasting days and orthodox spiritually
 Role of Apostles and the Archangel Gabriel
 The plan of High priest to kill the Mother of God
 The service of Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos in the Orthodox Churches
 The repose of Most Holy Theotokos and bodily assumption of the Theotokos

The faithful were taught that the Dormition Fasting and the beauty sacred of the sacred traditions provide us a spiritual opportunity to repent and to have reunion with our Heavenly Father as our sins separated us from God. Besides this, they asked to honour the Most Holy Mother of God and seek help from the Queen of Heaven who saves us all through Her powerful intercessions.

 May the Most Holy Mother of God protects us all!
 Most Holy Mother of God prays for us!
 Most Holy Lady Theotokos sends down help and support for all!

This is worth mentioning that the Orthodox Faithful in Pakistan joyfully participate in all the major feasts of the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. With devotion, patience and humility offer prayers and hymns to the Virgin Mary.

The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin teaches us to experience the Paschal Mystery and to live a true faith reached to us through our Lord and God Saviour of the world and through His Holy Apostles.

We are thankful to God for His Divine Love and Blessings and our life is happier on the feast day, we acknowledge the great gifts of holy orthodoxy!

I humbly request you to help the mission through your kind donations and charity. ROCOR Church in Pakistan is moving ahead day by day! Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Mission in Pakistan needs your generous support for the construction of first Russian Orthodox Church in Pakistan as we are celebrating Divine Liturgy in tents, faithful homes and in open area.

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Funds are distributed from the ROCOR Fund For Assistance and directly distributed to the mission

MIRACLES OF SAINT SERGIUS OF RADONEZH AND SAINT SERAPHIM OF SAROV IN PAKISTAN

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad,, 10th June 2018 acted as a milestone for the Russian Orthodox church in Pakistan, as many faithful shared the testimony of their strong faith and spiritual association with the Saints of the Russian land, Eastern Orthodox Church and Church Fathers. They shared the wonderworks of Saint Sergius of RADONEZH and Saint Saraphim of SAROV emerged in their lives through their powerful intersession and prayers and how they have experienced peace and comfort in their lives, health recovery and the jobless have got jobs. Among these are many orthodox families, three protestant families and one Catholic lady.

Today, it was a very hot day, as summer in Pakistan is very severe, but I gladly share that faithful came to attend the Divine Liturgy with full zeal and zest and spiritual devotion. We do not have an enough place for the large gatherings, so we offer Divine Liturgy in the tents on the specific days and feasts. The faithful remained steadfast in their faith and in the scorching heat of summer when the temperature was about 47°C. They chanted loudly and cheerfully and praised the Lord.

TESTIMONIES:

Wonderworks of our Blessed Father Sts Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov

A Catholic lady Sobia Adeline, who was blessed with a baby boy by constantly praying to the holy icon of Saint Saraphim of Sarov, which was given to her by her mother as the mother and her one brother are orthodox. Her mother told her to keep that icon and kiss it to show reverence while praying. She was infertile for the past six years. She is greatly moved by this miracle and now she is attending our catechist classes and soon along with her husband they will embrace the holy orthodoxy. The baby boy was baptized and chrismated and named after the great Saint Seraphim.

Protestant Families: One protestant family was awfully frustrated by both witchcraft and evil spirits at their home and was greatly terrified and shattered. The whole family has gone through psychological and emotional disturbances, Fr. Joseph Farooq visited the family and bless them by sprinkling the holy water, incense the home and handed over the icon of Mother of God, Saint Matrona of Moscow and of Saint Sergius of Radonezh to this family Fr .Joseph Farooq kept on visiting the family, prayed for them and motivated them to seek help from the Mother of God and holy saints. In the testimony they shared they had seen the vision of Mother of God and Saint Sergius of Radonezh and this family got peace and comfort after six months of regular prayer to the icon of Mother of Jesus and Saint Sergius and Saint Matrona of Moscow.

Other two protestant families received physical relief from their sickness and pain through prayer from Saint Saraphim Sarov.

Testimonies of Orthodox Families:

The following families from our congregation Alexander Samuel, Razia Sophia, Azar Gills and Nina, Amjad John and his wife Noshi Catherine, Peter, Martha, Aaron Nadeem and Ruth, Lewis Paul and Jamila Elizabeth and Nasreen Anna recovered their sickness, got jobs, by praying to Saint Sergius and Saint Saraphim of Sarov. They were recovered from their sickness, pain and family problems through the powerful intersession of these holy saints. Their family members shared that they are receiving peace, comfort and happiness in their lives through asking constant prayers to the holy saints.

Martha shared that she daily keeps fresh flowers in front of the icon of Saint Sergius of Radonezh to venerate him and has built a strong bond of spiritual association and trust with Saint Sergius of Radonezh .She prays for a peaceful and happy life. Today she is happy in her family and still prays for guidance and peace of mind.

Alexander Samuel venerates the icon of Saint Saraphim of Sarov by daily praying and asking for healthy and prosperous life. He shared that his house seems empty without this icon of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and he cannot imagine a single day of his life without praying to him.

Church Teaching and veneration of the Holy Saints in the Orthodox Church:

Here it is worth mentioning to share that Fr. Joseph Farooq has been preaching about the church fathers, holy saints of the Russian land and Eastern Orthodox and pious monks for the past six years. The Orthodox Families are always advised by Father Joseph Farooq to seek help from them for their spiritual and physical wellbeing and for their different domestic or financial problems. It strengthened their faith and today with full confidence they shared the miracles of these saints by giving testimony.
For more information please find links on the websites as we celebrated the days of Saints of Great Russian Land.

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/80230.html
http://orthochristian.com/73209.html
http://orthochristian.com/87389.html
http://orthochristian.com/108634.html
https://archangelmichaelmission.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/icon-of-saint-seraphim-of-vyritsa/
https://archangelmichaelmission.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/saint-matrona-of-moscow-adult-education-center-for-women-in-pakistan/

Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Mission in Pakistan is grateful to His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion for his blessings, prayers, passionate support and encouragement. With help and intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos, Holy Saints, Angels and Archangels, the congregation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Pakistan strengthened in faith and enhanced understanding of the sacred traditions of the mother church. Although, we are passing through a very hard time with very less financial resources ,but moving ahead with patience under the Divine protection of our Heavenly Father.

Please Donate to Saint Michael the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan

Your generosity makes it possible for Fr. Joseph Farooq preaching the holy orthodoxy in the most difficult region of the South East Asia. He reaches out to communities, families and children in desperate need, bringing the light of Christ to the darkest of circumstances.
The faithful earnestly pray to God that He may provide kind and generous donors to purchase a land and construction of First Russian Orthodox Temple in Pakistan.

For queries about the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia in Pakistan, kindly contact:fr.joseph.rocpk@gmail.com

Donate to the Mission

Funds are distributed from the ROCOR Fund For Assistance and directly distributed to the mission