Metropolitan Mercury: “In response to the maternal love that the Most Pure Mother of God shows to our Don region, we can testify with gratitude: not only Her miraculous image resides in the cathedral among the believers, but the Mother of God Herself protects the entire Don region, remaining over it with Her blessed Protection.”translated

On September 6, 2026, on the feast of the Don Icon of the Mother of God, established on the Don, the Head of the Don Metropolis, Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassk Mercury, led the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were Metropolitan of Lugansk and Alchevsk Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Donetsk and Mariupol Vladimir, Head of the Volgograd Metropolis Metropolitan of Volgograd and Kamyshin Theodore, Archbishop of Elista and Kalmyk Justinian, Bishop of Volgodonsk and Salsk Anthony, Bishop of Shakhtinsky and Millerovsky Simon, Bishop Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik Sergius, vicar of the Rostov diocese, Bishop Artemy of Taganrog, Bishop Parmen (Shchipelev).

Also serving the Head of the Don Metropolis were the secretary of the Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassk for the city of Rostov-on-Don, Archpriest John Osyak, the chairman of the parish council of the cathedral, Archpriest Alexander Bryantsev, members of the Diocesan Council of the Rostov-on-Don diocese, the abbot of the Don Starocherkassk Ephraim Monastery, dean of Rostov-on-Don dioceses and heads of Diocesan departments, as well as guests in holy orders from other dioceses.…