Havana, 23, November, 2010
Kazan Church, Havana, Cuba.
The icon was painted in the Holy Trinity-St. Seraphim Diveyevo Monastery. The icon was met at the doors of the Kazan church in Havana by clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate church, and of the St. Nicholas Church (Constantinople Patriarchate). After the icon was brought into the church, a moleben was served to St. Seraphim of Sarov.
Present at the service were various diplomats from the Russian Federation, as well as from the embassies of the Ukraine, Belorussia, Greece, Serbia, and Ethiopia. Representatives from the Communist Party of Cuba were also present, as was the Catholic Archbishop of Havana.
Worshippers included compatriots and citizens of former Soviet republics now residing in Cuba, members of Russian organizations who work on the island, and Orthodox Cubans.
The service was followed by tea in the "Russian House" adjacent to the church, and the showing of a film on St. Seraphim of Sarov.
The church located on a scenic shore of the Havana harbor was opened and consecrated in 2008 by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk, now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The church almost immediately became the center of the Russian speaking community in Cuba. The church complex houses a Russian language library, and exhibits on Orthodox Christian and historical themes.
