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From January 31 – February 11, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, the parishioners of St. Gregory the Theologian Church in Tampa, Florida led by parish rector Archpriest Andrey Kovalev performed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The pilgrims had a unique opprotunity to visit numerous Holy Sites throughout Jerusalem. They were given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the waters of the Jordan River; they visited Mount Tabor, Bethany, Nazareth, Cana of Galilee, Capernaum, Magdala, the Tomb of the Mother of God, the home of her holy parents in Jerusalem, Hebron, Jericho, and the Tomb of St. Tabitha in Jaffa. At the culmination of their visit, the pilgrims were able to pray at the All-Night Vigil in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity at the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem and the Divine Liturgy at the Tomb of Christ led by hierarchs of the Church of Jerusalem. Additional photographs can be accessed by visiting the parish website here