Monday
Nov252019

« On the feast of the Synaxis of Archangel Michail, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh assisted the Primates of the Jerusalem and Russian Orthodox Churches at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow »

Date25-11-2019
On November 21, 2019, on the feast of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and other celestial bodyless powers, celebrations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the monastic tonsure and the ordination to the priesthood of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia continued at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, who temporarily runs Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, together with a host of bishops, priests and deacons, participated in the solemn Liturgy co-serving with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophil III of Jerusalem and all of Palestine, and HisHoliness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Church Slavonic and Greek.
The Patriarchal choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Choirmaster - I. B. Tolkachev) sang at the service.
The service was broadcast live on "Soyuz" TV channel.
At the Augmented litany, petitions were raised for the unity of the Orthodox Church and the preservation of the Church from divisions and schisms.
A sermon before the Holy Communion was delivered by Archpriest Andrei Ovchinnikov, clergyman of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki, Moscow.
At the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill greeted His Beatitude Patriarch Theophil and all the participants in the service.  Then the Primate of the Church of Jerusalem addressed His Holiness with a response.
On the same day, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill headed the ceremony of awarding His Beatitude Patriarch Theophil with the award of the International Fund for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples.