The visitation of the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora, the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, to Russia continues.

On Thursday, September 28, the clergy delegation accompanying the icon – Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, Archpriest Alexander Logunov (rector of Reigning Mother of God Church in Charlotte, NC) and Deacon Nicholas Park (cleric of St. Nicholas Church in McKinney, TX) – was taken on a wider tour of the city of Kursk.

That evening, Bishop Nicholas led a moleben and akathist before the wonderworking icon in the Diocesan Cathedral of the Sign, where it is currently remaining for veneration by the city’s faithful. Singing the service was the youth and children’s choir, "Lampada," from the Sunday School of All Saints Church in Kursk. As the priests read the akathist, His Grace prayerfully commemorated some of the hundreds of slips that had been submitted to the Most Pure Mother of God.

On Friday, September 29, the icon was taken from the Cathedral of the Sign to the several of the city’s hospitals and medical institutions, accompanied by the delegation members and His Eminence Herman, Metropolitan of Kursk & Rylsk. The icon visited children and elderly alike, some of whom used all of their strength to venerate the icon. Entire hospitals, doctors and patients alike, came to venerate the icon and ask for help with their ailments. At each hospital, a moleben was served to the Most Holy Theotokos, with petitions added for the wellbeing of the patients. Metropolitan Herman himself took the icon to many of the rooms with patients who could not physically join the others for the moleben.

The visits continued well in to the evening. The icon’s last stop was to the regional headquarters of the Kursk Police (MVD). Metropolitan Herman thanked the officers for all of their assistance in keeping order and security throughout the icon’s visit to the city.

The icon returned to the Cathedral of the Sign late that evening.