Church celebrates the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
The Icon of the Protection. Photo: the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra website
On October 14, the Church prayerfully celebrates the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos and commemorates the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God to those praying in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople in 910.
This feast is not one of the Twelve Great Feasts, but it is beloved by Orthodox Christians.
The feast is established in honor of a miraculous event that took place in 910 in Constantinople when St Andrew the Fool-for-Christ and his disciple Epiphanius had a vision of the Protection of the Mother of God.
These were difficult times for Byzantium. The empire was threatened by the Saracens, who practised Islam. As the barbarian forces approached Constantinople, the residents of the Byzantine capital, preparing for death and seeing no help in sight, flocked in large numbers to the Blachernae Church, where the robe of the Theotokos and her veil were kept, and prayed.
On Sunday, October 1, 910, during the all-night vigil, St Andrew the Fool-for-Christ saw the Theotokos walking through the air, radiant with light and surrounded by angels and saints. First, she tearfully prayed for the Christians, and then she removed her veil from her head and spread it over the people praying in the church, protecting them from visible and invisible enemies.
The miraculous protection saved the city. A storm arose and scattered the barbarian ships, sparing the people of Constantinople from death.
Read also
ROCOR Priest Reflects on Trip to Capitol Hill
Archpriest Victor Boldewskul participated in the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown
Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.
Ukraine Adviser: UOC Not Banned, but Offered a 'Choice' of Jurisdictions
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the UOC is not banned but pressured to choose between joining the OCU, submitting to Constantinople, or remaining unregistered, while dismissing international concerns as propaganda.
Indiana Reports 98% Drop in Abortions Under Stricter Law
Indiana’s latest health report shows a 98% drop in reported abortions under stricter laws, though dozens still occurred under legal exceptions and concerns persist about unreported pill abortions.
Armenian Apostolic Church Pushes Back on Political Encroachment
The Armenian Apostolic Church plans to appeal to international bodies to resist government interference and defend its clergy and sacred relics.
Attempted Takeover at Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral Thwarted by Faithful
Supporters of Armenian PM Pashinyan attempted to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral amid calls for the Catholicos’s resignation but were blocked by parishioners and security.