Her rule of life was to offend no one, to intend good for everyone, to respect the aged, not envy others, avoid bragging, be healthy of mind, and to love virtue. The face of the Mother of God was radiant with the glory of Divine virginity, and from Her body there came a sweet fragrance. Dormition of the Theotokos The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. Suddenly, the inexpressible Light of Divine Glory shone forth, before which the blazing candles paled in comparison. It is used more particularly during the two weeks before the Dormition, or Assumption, of the Theotokos. Suffice it to say, a special grace attended all Her actions.” [Nicephoros Callistus borrowed his description from Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus (May 12), from the “Letter to Theophilus Concerning Icons.”]. Conversing with them, She told them about miraculous events: the Annunciation, the seedless and undefiled Conception of Christ born of Her, about His early childhood, and about His earthly life. Bewailing their separation from the Mother of God, the Apostles prepared to bury Her all-pure body. “O marvelous wonder! Unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem, taken aback by the extraordinarily grand funeral procession and vexed at the honor accorded the Mother of Jesus, complained of this to the High Priest and scribes. When did She ever puff up with pride before a modest person, or laugh at the weak, or shun the destitute? At that time, there was a small plot belonging to the house of Zebedee, the father of Saint John the Theologian. In the eighth century, the title was changed to the Ass… All-merciful Virgin Theotokos, Mother of compassions and love for mankind, my most beloved hope and aspiration! THE DORMITION (KOIMISIS) OF THE THEOTOKOS The Virgin at the Garden of Gethsemane At the foot of the Mount of Olives, there is the Garden of Gethsemane. Saint Stephen of the Holy Mountain says that the Mother of God prophetically spoke of it: “Let this place be my lot, given to me by my Son and my God. 0 Mother of the most sweet and most desired Savior, Who exceedeth every love, Jesus Christ, the Lover of mankind and my God, the Light of my darkened soul! I am with you all the days of your lives.” This so gladdened the Apostles and everyone with them, that they took a portion of the bread, set aside at the meal in memory of the Savior (“the Lord’s Portion”), and they exclaimed : “Most Holy Theotokos, save us”. Instagram | The whole temple was adorned with a multitude of lampadas and offerings. The burial place was hewn out of stone in the manner of the ancient Jewish graves and is very similar to the Sepulchre of the Lord. This entry was posted in Elder Thaddeus and tagged Dormition of the Theotokos, Healing, Intercession, Intercession of the Saints, Intercession of the Theotokos, Pray without Ceasing, Prayer, Protection of the Theotokos, Sickness, Theotokos on August 16, 2014 by Orthodox Church Quotes. Many of the newly-enlightened in the Faith even came from faraway lands to Jerusalem, to see and to hear the All-Pure Mother of God. During times of family strife or illness, the flower petals are placed in the censer with the incense, and the whole house is censed. This solemn procession went from Sion through Jerusalem to the Garden of Gethsemane. August 15 NS / 27 OS marks the last great feast of the Church year—The Dormition (falling asleep) of the Theotokos. All who saw it took fright. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Twitter | At the foot of the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane, where olive trees bear fruit even now. for those following the Julian Calendar) as the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. In the fourth century, Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus refers to the tradition about the “Falling Asleep” of the Mother of God. Dormition of the Mother of God; Prayers. And in the ninth century near the subterranean Gethsemane church a monastery was built, in which more than 30 monks struggled. One enters through the western doors, and exits at the northern doors. The commemoration of the Dormition of the Theotokos and the preparation for the Feast begin on August 1 with a period of fasting. Accompanying the pure soul of the God-betrothed and with reverent awe for the Queen of Heaven, the angels exclaimed: “Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee, blessed art Thou among women! Radical changes, the traces of which remain at present, also took place under the crusaders in the year 1130. At the time of Her blessed Falling Asleep, the Most Holy Virgin Mary was again at Jerusalem. The Heavenly gates were raised, and meeting the soul of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Cherubim and the Seraphim glorified Her with joy. The respect of ancient Christians for the Mother of God was so great that they preserved what they could about Her life, what they could take note of concerning Her sayings and deeds, and they even passed down to us a description of Her outward appearance. She died as all people die, not \"voluntarily\" as her Son, but by the necessity of her mortal human nature which is indivisibly bound up with the corruption of this world. The holy Disciples surrounded her beautifully adorned bed, offering praise to God. Along the way, pilgrims meet the icon, kissing the image of the All-Pure Virgin Mary and lift children of various ages to the icon. Home / Facebook | Although there are many symbolic interpretations of the Divine Liturgy, the most fundamental meaning is found in the actions and prayers. Already in the first century, the Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite wrote about Her “Falling-Asleep.” In the second century, the account of the bodily ascent of the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Heaven is found in the works of Meliton, Bishop of Sardis. Two small entrances lead into the burial-chamber of the Mother of God. The other saints and a multitude of the faithful accompanied the funeral bier with candles and censers, singing sacred songs. In 1917, the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, acquired a large panel of Egyptian papyrus. The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is preceded by a two-week fasting period, which referred to as the “Dormition Fast.” The Dormition Fast starts on August 1 and ends on August 14th. The church of the Dormition of the Theotokos has the following dimensions: in length it is 48 arshin, and in breadth 8 arshin [1 arshin = 28 inches]. In pledge of this, the Archangel gave Her a palm branch. Search, Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America. The Service of the Paraclesis to the Theotokos consists of hymns of supplication to obtain consolation and courage. During the persecution initiated by King Herod against the young Church of Christ (Acts 12:1-3), the Most Holy Virgin and the Apostle John the Theologian withdrew to Ephesus in the year 43. And by your prayers you deliver our souls from death! The Theotokos is Bodily Translated (Metastasis) on the Third Day . The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which commemorates the "falling asleep" or death of Mary the Theotokos ("Mother of God", literally translated as God-bearer), and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. Toward the front of the procession an icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is carried. Miraculous was the life of the All-Pure Virgin, and wondrous was Her Repose, as Holy Church sings: “In Thee, O Queen, the God of all hath given thee as thy portion the things that are above nature. The rite of the Burial of the Mother of God at Gethsemane begins customarily on the morning of August 14. It was there in the Garden of Gethsemane that the Savior often prayed with His disciples. Most Holy Theotokos Rescuer of the Perishing – An Orthodox house of prayer and repentance for the elderly and infirm Most Holy Theotokos Rescuer of the Perishing is an Orthodox assisted living facility for Orthodox Christians nearing the end of life. During the eleventh to twelfth centuries the piece of excavated stone, at which the Savior had prayed on the night of His betrayal disappeared from Jerusalem. All rights reserved. Seeing such a wonder, Athonios repented and with faith confessed the majesty of the Mother of God. She was the personification of purity. After the prayer, the Most Holy Virgin offered incense, and John heard a voice from Heaven, closing Her prayer with the word “Amen.” The Mother of God took it that the voice meant the speedy arrival of the Apostles and the Disciples and the holy Bodiless Powers. It is impossible to gaze upon Her, and it is impossible to render Her due honor” (Stikherion on “Lord, I Have Cried”). At the 23rd step on the right side is a chapel in honor of the holy Ancestors-of-God Joachim and Anna together with their graves, and on the left side opposite, the chapel of Saint Joseph the Betrothed with his grave. The burial-chamber of the All-Pure Virgin Mary is veiled with precious curtains. The right chapel belongs to the Orthodox Church, and the left to the Armenian Church (since 1814). Nativity of the Theotokos We begin our yearly festal celebrations by honoring the birth of the Mother of God on September 8 NS/21 OS. This piece of stone had been in the Gethsemane basilica from the sixth century. The Jewish priest Athonios, out of spite and hatred for the Mother of Jesus of Nazareth, wanted to topple the funeral bier on which lay the body of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, but an angel of God invisibly cut off his hands, which had touched the bier. This page was last edited on 7 February 2021, at 03:46 (UTC). The Holy Apostle Thomas . Kissing the all-pure body with reverence and in awe, the Disciples in turn were blessed by it and filled with grace and spiritual joy. At Jerusalem she bought two pieces of property: the first at the gates of Gethsemane, and the second in the valley of Josaphat. The Holy Virgin continued to pray right in front of them, yet unseen by anyone. And last week we discussed spicing up our Icon Corner s. Contact | If you want to know how a friendly loan works, please contact Fr. John. There is an article in the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”, 1979, No. Burning with envy and vengefulness toward everything that reminded them of Christ, they sent out their own servants to disrupt the procession and to set the body of the Mother of God afire. The hymns are metered to be sung to the common melodies. Her body was not left to the vicissitudes of the transitory world, but was incomparably exalted by its glorious ascent to Heaven. Shunoyo (Dormition of the Theotokos) Feast Day: August 15. In conversation with others She preserved decorum, neither becoming silly nor agitated, and indeed especially never angry; without artifice, and direct, She was not overly concerned about Herself, and far from pampering Herself, She was distinctly full of humility. The Holy Spirit had gathered them all together so that they might be granted the blessing of the All-Pure Virgin Mary, and more fittingly to see to the burial of the Mother of the Lord. The Divine Liturgy may be divided into two major parts: the Liturgy of the Catechumens and the Liturgy of the Faithful, which are preceded by the Service of Preparation. Make a gift or a forgivable loan to the parish. Having opened the grave, they found in it only the grave wrappings and were thus convinced of the bodily ascent of the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Heaven. (A … (This marks the beginning of the rite of offering up the “Panagia” (“All-Holy”), a portion of bread in honor of the Mother of God, which is done at monasteries to the present day). An angry crowd and soldiers set off against the Christians, but the circular cloud accompanying the procession descended and surrounded them like a wall. She was a source of consolation and edification both for the Apostles and for all the believers. While Thomas was enlightening the lands of India by preaching the Gospel, the honored Dormition of the Mother of God took place. She knew that death had already been overcome by her Son and God. The Feast of the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15 each year. Nowhere else is there such sorrow of heart at the separation from the Mother of God, and nowhere else such joy, because of Her intercession for the world. “All Her days She was concerned with fasting: She slept only when necessary, and even then, when Her body was at rest, She was still alert in spirit, repeating in Her dreams what She had read, or the implementation of proposed intentions, or those planned yet anew. Indeed, many of them were struck blind. According to Tradition, based on the words of the Hieromartyrs Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3) and Ignatius the God-Bearer (December 20), Saint Ambrose of Milan (December 7) had occasion to write in his work “On Virgins” concerning the Mother of God: “She was a Virgin not only in body, but also in soul, humble of heart, circumspect in word, wise in mind, not overly given to speaking, a lover of reading and of work, and prudent in speech. The Feast commemorates the repose (dormition and in the Greek kimisis) or \"falling-asleep\" of the Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord. When the procession reached the Garden of Gethsemane, then amidst the weeping and the wailing began the last kiss to the all-pure body. Others could protect Her only in body, but She Herself guarded Her character.”. On the return path, the holy burial shroud is carried by clergy led by the Archimandrite of Gethsemane. The Theotokos says at the Annunciation, Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum; through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. The Most Holy Theotokos went often to the Holy Sepulchre of the Lord, and here She offered up fevent prayer. Going in to the Mother of God, they beheld Her lying upon the bed, and filled with spiritual joy. The most-pure body of the Mother of God was buried in the family tomb. τικος Κανων Αγιου ΝικολαοÏ, http://www.eikona.com/paraklesis-the-mother-of-light/, https://www.amazon.com/Paraklesis-Eikona/dp/B009ZRXAO2. Traces of this church are no longer to be seen. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Dormition of the Theotokos Church. Saint Anna, having been left a widow, moved from Nazareth to Jerusalem, and lived near the Temple. After the clergy, in two rows walk the black-robed monks and nuns of the Holy City: Greeks, Roumanians, Arabs, Russians. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, … In front the altar, beyond the burial chamber of the Mother of God, is a raised-up spot, upon which rests the burial shroud of the Most Holy Mother of God among fragrant flowers and myrtle, with precious coverings. On the day of the Leave-taking of the feast (August 23), another solemn procession is made. Modeled after the Lamentations to the Lord Jesus on Holy Friday, these 176 hymns are sometimes called the "Jerusalem Service." There was heard the singing of the Heavenly Powers, glorifying the Mother of God, which echoed that of the worldly voices. The Fount of Life is placed in the grave, and the grave doth become the ladder to Heaven...” Here at the grave of the All-Pure Virgin, these words strike deep with their original sense and grief is dispelled by joy: “Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee, granting the world, through Thee, great mercy!”. A strict fast is followed on most of the days (no meat, dairy, oil, or wine), with the exceptions of fish on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the day of the Dormition. The Dormition of the Theotokos is a confirmation of the resurrection of Christ and a source of hope for the faithful in the promise of their personal resurrection, their personal Pascha. She summoned Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and other disciples of the Lord, and told them of Her impending Repose. Her fame as the Mother of God had already spread throughout the land and had aroused many of the envious and the spiteful against Her. All the members of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem, with the head of the Mission presiding, participate each year in the procession (called the “Litania”) with the holy burial shroud of the Mother of God. The faithful, whose number by then was impossible to count, gathered together, says Saint John of Damascus, like clouds and eagles, to listen to the Mother of God. The circumstances of the Dormition of the Mother of God were known in the Orthodox Church from apostolic times. When was She at discord with Her kin? Through the great glorification of the Most Holy Theotokos, the almighty power of God healed the sick, who with faith and love touched the holy bed. Seeing Her Son, the Mother of God exclaimed: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God My Savior, for He hath regarded the low estate of His Handmaiden” (Luke 1:46-48) and, rising from Her bed to meet the Lord, She bowed down to Him, and the Lord bid Her enter into Life Eternal. The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. Only towards evening were the Apostles able to place it in the tomb and seal the entrance to the cave with a large stone. The Armenian Apostolic Churchcelebrates the Dormition not on a fixed … Descending from Heaven was Christ, the King of Glory, surrounded by hosts of Angels and Archangels and other Heavenly Powers, together with the souls of the Forefathers and the Prophets, who had prophesied in ages past concerning the Most Holy Virgin Mary. "It is time, my Mother,” says the… Copyright © 1996–2021. The Church makes rich use of non verbal symbols to express God's presence and our relationship to Him. Otherwise, She seldom appeared outside Her house in the company of others, and She was Her own best overseer. Orthodoxy Worship involves the whole person; one's intellect, feelings, and senses. The olive woods on the eastern and northern sides of the temple was acquired from the Turks by the Orthodox during the seventh and eighth centuries. She was out of Her house only for church, and then only in the company of relatives. 3 regarding the rite of the litany and Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Holy Land. Saint John the Theologian went at the head with the resplendent palm-branch from Paradise. Without any bodily suffering, as though in a happy sleep, the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave Her soul into the hands of Her Son and God. With the end of Liturgy, at the fourth hour of the morning, he serves a short Molieben before the resplendent burial shroud, lifts it in his hands and solemnly carries it beyond the church to Gethsemane proper where the holy sepulchre of the Mother of God is situated. They wanted to make attempts on Her life; but God preserved Her from enemies. Commemorated August 15 Troparion - Tone 1 In giving birth you preserved your virginity, in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Day and night She spent her time in prayer. Through the wise providence of God, the Apostle Thomas was not to be present at the burial of the Mother of God. The Most Holy Virgin Mary glorified God, because He had heard Her prayer and fulfilled Her heart’s desire, and She began speaking about Her imminent end. The Feast also commemorates the translation or assumption into heaven of the body of the Theotokos. Her numerous icons everywhere pour forth signs and healings, and Her holy body, taken up to Heaven, bears witness to our own future life there. The Mother of God was on Cyprus with Saint Lazarus the Four-Days-Dead, where he was bishop. Arriving late on the third day at Gethsemane, he lay down at the tomb and with bitter tears asked that he might be permitted to look once more upon the Mother of God and bid her farewell. It should be recited in times of temptation, discouragement or sickness. Her fervent and unceasing desire was to leave the body and be with her beloved Son and God. The Prayers and the Hymns for the Dormition of the Theotokos witness to the new Christian hope that Christ’s Resurrection has transformed the experience of death for all of us, from any sense of fearful demise into a joyful threshold toward eternal life. At an earlier time the church had also windows beside the doors. Great destruction was done the Church in the year 1009 by the despoiler of the holy places, Hakim. The Holy Spirit transported him from Ephesus, setting him in that very place where the Mother of God lay. The feast was added to the Roman calendar in the seventh century as the Dormitio. Interestingly, the Church Year begins with her birth, and ends with her Dormition. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”, Founded in 1794 — Granted Autocephaly in 1970. With these heavenly tidings the Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with the three girls attending Her (Sepphora, Abigail, and Jael). For three days they did not depart from the place of burial, praying and chanting Psalms. In addition to prayers, hymns, and scripture readings, there are a number of ceremonies, gestures, and processions. Add Dormition Orthodox Church to your daily prayers. At the entrance to the church along the sides of the iron gates stand four marble columns. The preaching of the Gospel there had fallen by lot to the Apostle John the Theologian. I will be the Patroness of this place and intercede with God for it.”. Like the Apostles, She helped plant and strengthen the Christian Church by Her presence, Her discourse and Her prayers. Just as in the Birth-Giving He did preserve Thine virginity, so also in the grave He did preserve Thy body from decay” (Canon 1, Ode 6, Troparion 1). The holy Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem (420-458) testified before the emperor Marcian (450-457) as to the authenticity of the tradition about the miraculous ascent of the Mother of God to Heaven, and he sent to the empress, Saint Pulcheria (September 10), the grave wrappings of the Mother of God from Her tomb. According to Orthodox Tradition, Mary died like all humanity, \"falling asleep,\" so to speak, as the name of the feast indicates. To each She wished eternal bliss, and prayed with them for the peace and welfare of the whole world. For lo, the Queen, God’s Maiden comes, lift up the gates, and with the Ever-Existing One, take up the Mother of Light; for through Her salvation has come to all the human race. The holy city of Jerusalem is separated from the Mount of Olives by the valley of Kedron on Josaphat. We have spent the last two weeks fasting in preparation for this wonderful celebration of the Mother of Our Lord, when she reposed in the Lord surrounded by most of the Apostles, who had been miraculously brought to her from all around the world. Within the church was preserved the precious funeral cloth, which covered Her all-pure and fragrant body. The Disciples greeted Her, and then they told her how they had been carried miraculously from their places of preaching. The holy Apostles Peter, Paul, James and others of the Twelve Apostles carried the funeral bier upon their shoulders, and upon it lay the body of the Ever-Virgin Mary. See the Prayer at the Sanctification of any Fragrant Herbage. The reverence of the Apostles for the Most Holy Virgin was extraordinary. Christians honored the sepulchre of the Mother of God, and they built a church on this spot. The holy Ancestor-of-God Joachim had himself reposed at 80 years of age, several years after the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (November 21). The Falling Asleep of the Theotokos Although the Dormition of the Theotokos is not in scripture, we know a lot of what happened from Tradition. The Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated with special solemnity at Gethsemane, the place of Her burial. The pursuers heard the footsteps and the singing, but could not see any of those accompanying the procession. The Most Holy Virgin prayed also that the Lord would have the Apostle John come to Her. This Elizabethan prophecy, that we repeat so often in one of our most favorite prayers “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos,” was followed by Mary’s hymn, Mary’s prayerful prophesy, which is especially important for our attention on the day of her glorious Dormition. Accounts have been preserved, that at the end of the seventh century a church had been built atop the underground church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, and that from its high bell-tower could be seen the dome of the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord. When the time came for the soul of the Theotokos to be united with her son in heaven, the apostles and … The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary: After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian, and during his journeys She lived at the home of his parents, near the Mount of Olives. She is the means by which Christ is brought into the world; how wonderful to anchor our year with the fullness of her earthly life! During this conversation the Apostle Paul also appeared in a miraculous manner together with his disciples Dionysius the Areopagite, Saint Hierotheus, Saint Timothy and others of the Seventy Apostles. Along the narrow alley-ways of the Holy City the funeral procession makes its way to Gethsemane. Beyond the burial-chamber is the altar of the church, in which Divine Liturgy is celebrated each day in the Greek language. The Lamentations to the Theotokos are sung on the feast of the Dormition on August 15, before a special Epitaphios depicting the Theotokos in the grave. Dormition of the Theotokos (XVc) Icon - F261 As low as $9.95 The Church has received the tradition of the Dormition (death) and Assumption into heaven of the Mother of … YouTube | Then began a joyous angelic song. Numerous pilgrims, having kissed the icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, following an ancient custom, then stoop down and go beneath it. The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary: After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian, and during his journeys She lived at the home of his parents, near the Mount of Olives. It is considered to be a very strict fast, even stricter than both the Nativity and the Apostles Fasts. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ’s mother. On the evening of the same day, when the Apostles had gathered at a house to strengthen themselves with food, the Mother of God appeared to them and said: “Rejoice! With Her there was nothing of glaring eyes, nothing of unseemly words, nor of improper conduct. The Mother of God’s Prayer Before Her Dormition. The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. Regarding the clothing which She wore, She was satisfied to have natural colors, which even now is evidenced by Her holy head-covering. August 15, 2015 August 28, 2015 by Orthodox Mom, in category Faith, Prayers. Feasts of the Lord and the Theotokos (hymns) Hymn to the Theotokos; Joy of all the Sorrowful; Prayer at the Icon of the Theotokos; Song of the Theotokos / prayer of Zacharias; Readings - Apostolic. She was modest in the movement of Her body, Her step was quiet, and Her voice straightforward; so that Her face was an expression of soul. The Mother of God did not fear death, nor did she seek to avoid it. Telegram | Hebrews 2:11-18 (Annunciation to the Most-Holy Theotokos) Hebrews 9:1-7 (Entry of the Most-Holy Theotokos) To enter the church, it is necessary to go down a stairway of 48 steps. It is celebrated on 15 August (28 August N.S. She was also on Holy Mount Athos. The Apostles out of heartfelt pity for him decided to open the grave and permit him the comfort of venerating the holy relics of the Ever-Virgin Mary. The service of the Small Paraklesis, conducted in alternation with the Great Paraklesis during the Dormition fast (August 1-14) as well as on many other occasions, is chanted in times of distress and sorrow of soul and is one of the most popular services of the Orthodox Church. Saint John the Theologian, greeting them with tears of joy, said that the time of the Virgin’s repose was at hand. But in spite of the destruction and the changes, the overall original cruciform (cross-shaped) plan of the church has been preserved. Saint Pulcheria then placed these grave-wrappings within the Blachernae church. The procession, going along for about two hours, concludes with Lamentations at the Gethsemane church. The first week we talked about praying with our Guardian Angel. The Dormition of the Theotokos is equivalent to the biggest celebration of summer in Greece, since every town and village has its own miraculous icon of the Theotokos. Mary is a most important figure in our faith. A blessed feast of the Dormition to all of you! You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death. Dormition of the Theotokos - August 15 On A ugust 15th we celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God.