More on OCA visit to the Church of Georgia

(st-catherine.ru) - On Monday, October 12, 2009, His Beatitude, the Most Blessed JONAH of All America and Canada arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia for his first official visit to the Georgian Orthodox Church which will continue until Sunday, October 18, 2009. Accompanying His Beatititude in the official delegation were: Archimandrite Zacchaeus, OCA Representative to the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Alexander Garklavs, OCA Chancellor Protodeacon Kirill Sokolov, His Beatititude’s Archdeacon. To everyone’s great joy, Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, the Ecumenical officer of the OCA also joined the official delegation later that evening.

Upon arrival, His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH was met by His Holiness and Beatitude, ILIA II Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia who warmly greeted the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America who expressed his joy in being able to welcome the Metropolitan in Tbilisi.

The Metropolitan, together with the delegation accompanying him were taken to the Patriarchate for a formal reception by His Holiness. Afterwards, the guests of the Georgian Church had the possibility to join Patriarch ILIA in celebrating the first year anniversary of the University of the Patriarchate where His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH also was able to congratulate the faculty and students on this important milestone in their history.

Later that evening, after a brotherly dinner with hierarchs of the Georgian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH and the other members of the delegation went back to their hotel for rest after a long day’s journey, giving thanks to the Lord for the blessing of being able to share in fellowship with their Georgian brothers.