« On the 4th Sunday of Great Lent, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral in London »

On April 14, 2024, on the 4th Sunday of Great Lent, the day of remembrance of St. John of the Ladder (a feast traditionally celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Great Lent) and St. Mary of Egypt (522), His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great at the Dormition Cathedral in London.

Concelebrating with His Grace were Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky, Dean of the Diocesan District of South-East England Archpriest Vitaly Polishchuk, Secretary of the Sourozh Diocese Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, clergy of the UOC temporarily staying on the territory of the Sourozh Diocese, Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch and Deacon Ioan Sîlnic.

Liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the Dormition Cathedral under the direction of Dmitry Tugarinov.

Before the start of the Liturgy, an ark with great Christian shrines (particle of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the belt of the Most Holy Mother of God and particles of the holy relics of God's chosen saints) was carried from the altar to the middle of the church.

After the augmented litany, the Right Reverend Vladyka proclaimed a prayer for the granting of peace.

After the prayer behind the ambo, Bishop Matthew consecrated the newly painted icon of St. Afanasy the Confessor, Bishop of Kovrov (+1962).

At the end of the Liturgy, the Archpastor addressed those present with words of sermon and spiritual edification. Bishop Matthew briefly spoke about the life of St. Afanasy, confessor, liturgist, hymnographer, author of “Services to all the Saints who have shone in the lands of Russia.” Expressing words of appreciation and gratitude to benefactors and icon painters for their help and labour in creating the icon, Vladyka noted that with God’s help and with the kind participation of the parishioners and patrons of the church, other icons for the cathedral will be painted, which will take their place in cases on the walls of the Cathedral.

Translation into English was carried out by Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch.

Photo gallery