This year, the feast of the Holy Great Martyr and Victory Bearer George fell on a Thursday of the Bright Week. Following the early-morning Divine liturgy on that day, the clergy of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, the sisters, and faithful went on a cross procession to the Spring of Venerable Alexandra of Diveyevo. Rev. Fr. Anthony Belov of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery blessed the water source at the spring and the seeds.

St. George the Victory Bearer is the patron of livestock farming and the defender from beasts of prey. The reason behind this veneration was the Great Martyr’s appearance on horseback to protect the people of Beirut from a serpent and the miraculous reviving of a farmer’s only ox. There is a tradition to put cattle to pasture for the first time after cold winter on this particular day after serving the prayer service to the Holy Great Martyr and sprinkling homes and cattle with the holy water.

There are the livestock-farming sketes at the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, so the prayerful intercession of St. George the Victory Bearer is quite valuable for our monastery.