Miracle-Working Icon of the Mother of God “Softener of evil hearts”.

On the 15^th and the 16^th of Septemberof this year the newly glorified in our Church Holy Myrrh-streaming Miracle-Working icon of the Mother of God called“Softener of evil hearts” will visit for the first time Our Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Barbara in Edmonton, Alberta. This remarkable event will take place due to the kind offer of His Grace Vladika Gabriel, the Archbishop of Montreal and Canada, and according to my blessing and approval.

The Holy Icon arrives to Canada to be present on the great celebrations of the 400^th anniversary of the House of Romanov that will be held in Toronto on the 4^th-6^th of September. The Icon will arrive to us from Calgary, after visiting there the parishes of All Saints and of John Chrysostom of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The schedule of the Church Services to be served on those days in Saint Barbara Cathedral is as follows:

The 15^th of September (Sunday) 19:00 – the meeting of the Icon, the prayers with the Akathist to Theotokos: “Rejoice, oh, unwedded Bride!” in English and Slavic languages.

The 16^th of September (Monday) 9:00 a.m. – the short prayers and the Akathist in honour of the Icon “Softener of evil hearts”

9:40-the reading of the 3d and the 9^th Hours.

10:00 The Divine Liturgy. Right after the Liturgy:  Farewell and the departure of the Icon of the Mother of God.

The short story of the Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Mother of God, called

“Softener of evil hearts”

The icon was printed in a regular way in the church polygraph enterprise of “Sofrino” and bought in a common parish icon kiosk in Moscow.On the 3d of May, 1998, the owner of the icon Margarita Vorobyev noticed that myrrh was streaming along the surface of the icon… This myrrh-streaming repeated many times and was accompanied by the wonderful redolence.

For protection of this Holy Icon they made a precious reliquary for it and built a special church in the village of Bachurino, not far from Moscow. By now this Icon visited many eparchies of Russia, as well as of Belorussia, Check Republic, of the United States and Australia, of Ukraine, Germany, Italy and Greece… It had been to the Holy Mount Athos as well… Many people, who venerated this Icon with love and reverence, witnessed that there were cases of miraculous healing of the sick among them, and that everybody who touches the Icon experiences the uplifting feeling of a special spiritual joy…

In the 27-29 of January, 2009, this Myrrh-Streaming icon of the Mother of God was present at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, at the very time when the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church met there, and the election of the new Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church – His Holiness Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ took place in the presence of this icon.       

The Miracle-working and Myrrh-Streaming icon of The Mother of God “Softener of evil hearts,” according to the strength of our prayers and our faith, truly changes hard, evil, indifferent and cold hearts… People, who venerate this icon, become fully awake from the spiritual drowsiness and direct their life and their hearts to God, glorifying Our Queen of Heaven, The Blessed and Holy Mother of God: “Rejoice, oh, Our multi-sorrowful Theotokos, You, who is turning our grief into elation…”

+Iov, Bishop of Kashira, Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes in Canada