« Festive Matins in the presence of the Turin Shroud »
18-05-2010 
On Monday, 17 May, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh took part in a festive service in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin where the Holy Shroud was opened for vereration.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, celebrated the festive Matins together with Archbishop Feofan of Berlin and Germany, Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun, Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov, Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, abbot of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergiy Lavra, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, and Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe.
The Cardinal of Turin and clergy of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist attended to the service.
Clergy and pilgrims form Italy, Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, Moldova, Ukraine and other countries came to venerate the Holy Shroud of Christ. The Diocese of Sourozh was represented by groups of pilgrims from the London Dormition Cathedral with Piest Maxim Mitrofanov at the head, Oxford pilgrims headed by Priest Stephen Platt, group from Scotland led by Archpriest Gennagy Andreev and pilgrims from Ireland.
After Matins, a festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Maximus of Turin.
Vladyka Elisey was accompanied by Protodeacon Dimitry Nedostupenko who also took part in the services.