This May a group of orthodox youth from the East coast traveled to Minsk, Belarus with the Relics of Saint Elizabeth. I was fortunate to be a part of this pilgrimage. We stayed at the Saint Elizabeth and Saint Barbara Women’s monastery.

There we got to see how much the relics meant to the nuns of the monastery and the people of Belarus.

During our 5 day stay we saw people from all over the country travel hours then stand even more hours in line to the relics. Akathists, molebens, and the tropars were heard day and night from the monastery hotel we stayed in.

This trip has inspired me to travel to participate in pilgrimages abroad to experience how God connects all people of the church.