GALILEE: July 15, 2019
Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky) participates in divine services in Capernaum on the feast of SS Peter and Paul

Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, participated in divine services on the feast day of SS Peter and Paul at the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Capernaum.

His Eminence Metropolitan Kyriacos of Nazareth celebrated Divine Liturgy. He was joined by Fr Roman and 8 other clergymen of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. A large number of Greeks, Arabs, Russians and Orthodox Christian Israelite filled the church.

Monk Irinarchos of the Monastery of the Twelve Apostles warmly welcomed the pilgrims.

The city of Capernaum was established some 2,500 years ago. By the first century AD, it flourished thanks to its proximity to the kingdom of Herod Antipas. The town was on the trade route between the Mediterranean Sea, Syria and Asia Minor.

According to the Gospel, Capernaum was the site of the main preaching work of Jesus Christ. It was a fishing town and customs center between Caesaria to Damascus. Jesus summoned his Disciples Peter, Andrew and the brothers John the Theologian and James of Zebedee and Levi Matthew. In the 2nd century, a community of Jews who were baptized Christian was established there. The following century, a church was built which became the center of Christianity in the region.