Patriarch Cyril Begins Visit to Mordovia

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow has begun a pastoral visit to the Russian Orthodox Church in Mordovia, a member republic of the Russian Federation. The patriarch was welcomed to Mordovia by Metropolitan Varsonofiy (Sudakov) of Saransk and Mordovian President N.I. Merkushkin, after which Patriarch Kirill blessed a newly opened pilgrimage center of the Mordovian capital's Monastery of St. John the Theologian. More (in Russian) here and here.

Pictured are women and girls in traditional Mordvin clothing welcoming Patriarch Kirill to Mordovia at the Saransk Airport.