The Birthday of the Head of the House of Romanoff will be Marked by a Solemn Service in Moscow’s Holy Epiphany Cathedral

The birthday of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, fallson December 23, 2014, the Feast Day of St. Ioasaph of Belgorod.

To mark this event, a service of thanksgiving, or moleben,will be held for the health of Grand Duchess Maria of Russia and her Heir, the Tsesarevich and Grand Duke George of Russia, at the Holy Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow, followed by a requiem service, or litya, for His Holiness Patriarch Aleksei II of blessed memory, who is buried in the cathedral’s side chapel of the Annunciation.

After the pine services in the cathedral, there will be held the next event in the campaign “Gifts for the Grand Duchess—Charity,” which has been timed to correspond with the birthday of the Head of the Russian Imperial House. In accordance with the wishes of H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, inpiduals can make a charitable donationto the Central Clinical Hospital of St. Aleksei, Metropolitan of Moscow, [1] which is operated by the Russian Orthodox Church and receive a commemorative certificate acknowledging their gift. Each such donation will be regarded as a personal birthday gift to the Head of the Russian Imperial House. A copy of the listof donors and amounts given will be presented to Her Imperial Highness.

The Church services on Tuesday, December 23, 2014, will begin at 6:30PM.

The address of Holy Epiphany Cathedral is: Moscow, Spartakovskaia ul., 15. Metrostation: “Baumanskaia.”

 [1] The holy relics of St. Aleksei, Metropolitan of Moscow are located in Holy Epiphany Cathedral.