A traditional religious procession featuring a revered icon of the Virgin Mary drew hundreds of worshippers to the streets of Strumica, North Macedonia, on Saturday, April 18, according to local outlet Strumica Live.

The cross procession was held in honor of a copy of the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God known as “Quick to Hear” (Skoroposlushnitsa), an image especially venerated in Orthodox Christian tradition during the Paschal season. Services featuring the reading of the Akathist hymn and processions with the icon are commonly performed during Bright Week, particularly on Bright Tuesday.

The events began on Friday evening with a church service and continued the following morning with the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Fifteen Tiberiopolis Martyrs in Strumica. After the liturgy, the procession set out through the city’s main streets, bringing together believers from across the country.

The icon was carried first to the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius, then to Goce Delchev Square, where a prayer service was held. It was later transferred to the Church of Saints Demetrius and Gregory Palamas, where it will remain available for veneration in the coming days.

The icon itself is a respected copy of a famed Athonite image originally housed at the Dochiariou Monastery on Mount Athos. The Strumica copy has been kept in the Church of the Holy Fifteen Tiberiopolis Martyrs since its arrival in March 2017.

It was created by iconographer Dimitrios Argyri and donated to the monastery by Abbot Gregory of Dochiariou. Local reports note that the gift was made in gratitude for the healing of a boy from Strumica who had suffered from a serious illness. The donation was accompanied by a blessing from an Athonite elder, who expressed hope that the copy would “emit the same grace and power as the original,” bringing healing and aid to the faithful.

During the procession, Bishop Jacob of Stobi, the local vicar bishop, emphasized that the icon has become a lasting spiritual focus for believers, many of whom approach it in prayer seeking comfort, healing, and divine assistance.