KANDA CHURCH

Kanda monastery

Kanda St. 13 Assyrian monks monastery (Region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti)

The monastery of  St. 13 Assyrian monks  in the village of Kanda (Georg. ქანდის მონასტერი) has long been unable to accommodate all the parishioners who come here every Sunday for a prayer conducted by the church mentor, Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim Bit-Kharibi. This small village is inhabited by Orthodox Assyrians who speak Aramaic, the native language of Jesus Christ. With the blessing of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and in accordance with the decision of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church, divine services are held here in Aramaic.

Father Seraphim impresses with his unique voice, which seems to take you into the distant past. Unique chants, the music for which Father Seraphim himself composes, are known far beyond the borders of Georgia. When Pope Francis visited Georgia on an apostolic visit, the Schema-Archimandrite was invited to hold a prayer service in Aramaic at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The heartfelt melody and the unusual manner of performing church hymns made the rector of the temple known far beyond the borders of his homeland. Believers go to Father Seraphim not only for advice, but simply to enjoy his singing. It must be said that there are only 2 places in the world where services are held in the language of Christ – in the Syrian village of Maalula in the suburbs of Damascus and in the Georgian village of Kanda.

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