CLERGY OF THE CATHEDRAL TOOK PART IN COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS DEDICATED TO MARIA PAVLOVNA ROMANOVA
From May 2 to 4, in Contrexéville (Vosges department, Lorraine), commemorative events were held with the blessing of Metropolitan Nestor of Korsun and Western Europe, Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, marking the anniversary of the birth of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Romanova (1854–1920).
On Friday, May 2 — the birthday of Her Imperial Highness — Priest Antoniy Sidenko served a memorial panikhida at her tomb in the chapel-church of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary and Vladimir in Contrexéville. During the service, prayers were also offered for all members of her family and the clergy who had served in this church.
On the same day, new vestments for the altar and for clergy and altar servers were blessed.
In the evening, an exhibition by Ekaterina Titova opened at the central mineral water pavilion of Contrexéville (Pavillon des sources). The vernissage was attended by the mayor of the city, Luc Guerek, representatives of the municipal authorities, and Orthodox pilgrims from France, Austria, and Bulgaria.
The exhibition, which lasted until the evening of May 4, featured Orthodox icons by E. Titova, designer scarves inspired by the interiors of Orthodox churches of Europe, and six information panels with rare photographs and archival materials about the construction of the Orthodox church in Contrexéville and the life of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.
The main exhibit was a newly written icon of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and Mary Magdalene, created especially for the Orthodox church in Contrexéville. The saints are depicted holding the church, set against a recognizable cityscape of Contrexéville with architectural details and elements of the church’s iconostasis.
Also presented was a new scarf, inspired by the church’s stained-glass windows, adorned with Maria Pavlovna’s monogram and her signature. The scarf attracted great interest from local residents.
On Saturday, May 3, a general cleaning of the church was carried out. Orthodox youth pilgrims restored the large bronze candelabras — donated to the church by the Grand Duchess in 1910 — almost to their original condition.
On Sunday, May 4 — the Sunday commemorating the deeds of Saint Mary Magdalene and the other Myrrh-Bearing Women — Priest Antoniy Sidenko, concelebrated by Deacon Viacheslav Li, served the Divine Liturgy in the church.
Among those praying at the service were Orthodox pilgrims, including the great-nephew of the church’s first rector, Protopriest Grigory Ostroumov (later Archbishop of Cannes and Marseille), Mother Dorothea, abbess of the Romanian Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Godoncourt, Orthodox faithful from the surrounding area, municipal representatives, and visitors to the resort.
The choir, under the direction of Evgeny Skurat, enriched the liturgy with rare Byzantine-style hymns taken from ancient manuscripts dating back to the time of Kievan Rus.
During the memorial litany (ekténia), prayers were offered for members of the Grand Duchess’s family and for the clergy who had served in the church.
After the service, Fr. Antoniy spoke to those present about the history of the church, thanked all those involved in organizing the celebration, and invited everyone to a shared meal, during which fellowship continued.
In the evening of May 4, a concert of sacred music was held in the local Catholic church of Saint-Epvre. The mayor of the city, Mother Dorothea with members of the Romanian Orthodox community, and local residents attended the concert. The event was a great success, and many expressed words of gratitude to the organizers.
Additionally, Priest Antoniy and Ekaterina Titova gave an interview to the local newspaper Vosges Matin regarding the icon exhibition, the concert, and the celebrations marking the feast day of the Orthodox church.
