KONOTOP. Glorification Among Saints of Four God-Pleasers Held at Sophrony-Molchensk Pechersk Monastery of Nativity of Theotokos

On June 28, at Sophrony-Molchensk Pechersk Monastery of the Nativity of Theotokos (the village of Nova Sloboda, Putivl disctrict of Sumy region), at the Divine Liturgy, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr, the rite of glorification of four God-pleasers, who bore obedience at the monastery at different times. 

Concelebrating with His Beatitude were: Archbishop Kule of Hlukhiv and Konotop, Bishop Iriney of Nizhyn and Pryluky, Bishop Hilary of Makariv, Bishop Evlogy of Sumy and Okhtyrka,  Bishop Oleksander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi (Secretary for the Primate of the UOC), diocesan clergy.   

The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the decision of April 14, 2009 (Journal № 25) blessed for the local glorification and veneration Archimandrite Theodosy (Maslov), Hieromonk Serapion, monk Sophrony (Batovrin) in the ranks of the venerable fathers, and  lay brother Serhiy Tikhonov as fool for Christ.   

At the divine service the last pannikhida for the deceased ascetics, following which the resolutions of the Holy Synod of the UOC and the lives of the glorified saints. Then the troparion, kontakion and songs of praise for the newly glorified saints were sung, following which the icon of the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of Molchensk was brought from the altar for the prayerful commemoration. 

Also at the Liturgy the Archpastor addressed the parishioners with words of exhortation, in which he focused attention at the mercy as one of the main Christian virtues.   

"The merciful one will never be devoid of any benefits, the merciful one earns his way to the Kingdom of God. So, may our Lord Jesus Christ will always be merciful for us sinners, let the mercy of God extend to the entire humanity.  May the Lord bless and multiply our gift of mercy, so that we, being merciful to the others, obtained from God the grace and Truth for our unworthy and unmerciful deeds", said the Primate.    

At the end Metropolitan Volodymyr greeted the faithful on that day's prominent event. 

"Just now all of us present in this holy place have performed the divine act of  glorification among the saints of the new God-pleasers. The new God-pleasers, by their lives, sufferings and cross-bearing have entreated the Lord and He accepted their sacrifice, and now this sacrifice will be our guarantee of salvation for the Lord at the Judgment Day", said His Beatitude.     
 

Maxim Sydorenko
photos by Maxim Brusnyka