Academy Glorifies the Most Holy Virgin on the Feast of Her Dormition 

Today, the Most Blessed Queen returns to Her Heavenly chambers, and the angelic hosts praise God, who has revealed to the world the extraordinary mystery of the coming universal Resurrection. Mary fell asleep in the sleep of eternity, but corruption did not touch Her, for She was resurrected by Her Divine Son. 

Just as the Mother of God once gathered all the apostles at her bier on the day of Her Dormition, so now She gathers the entire Church before Her Shroud and joyfully receives all who come. With gratitude and hope, Christians flock to the house of God to offer prayers to the Mother of God and, kneeling before Her Shroud, to honor the feast of the Dormition. Offering their final kiss and performing the rite of burial, clergy and laity stand together on this day before the Most Holy Virgin. And She looks with love and care upon each one and hears the heartfelt yearnings of all the people of God. 

On the afternoon of August 27, on the eve of the feast, the Academy gathered in the Intercession Church to glorify the Most Holy Virgin with the chanting of an akathist. The akathist to the Mother of God, which is sung on the feast of the Dormition, was led by the spiritual father of the Academy, Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets). 

In the evening of the same day, the academic community prayed at the All-Night Vigil, which was led by Archimandrite Venedict (Knyazev), concelebrated by the academic clergy. During the Vigil, Archimandrite Venedict performed the litany and offered a prayer to the Lord for the sanctification of the loaves for those praying.

During the choir's singing of the Troparia of the Burial, the clergy solemnly carried the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos out of the altar. Placing it in the center of the church on an analogion adorned with flowers, the clergy sang special praises to the Mother of God and performed the rite of burial.

After the Great Doxology, the clergy, students, professors, and parishioners performed a small cross-procession within the church, carrying the Shroud, and offering a hymn of praise to the Mother of God and glorifying Her Dormition.

On August 28, on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Intercession Church of the Moscow Theological Academy, led by Archimandrite Venedict.

Before Communion, Hieromonk Ioann (Merzlyakov), acting director of the Varnitsa Gymnasium, delivered a sermon to those praying. 

After the dismissal, the clergy sang the glorification at the Shroud of the Mother of God.

Background information:

At the All-Night Vigil, Archimandrite Venedict was concelebrated by: Archimandrites Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Forkavets), Luka (Golovkov); Igumen Adrian (Pashin); Hieromonks Kirill (Sorokin), Cassian (Plosky); Priest Valery Dukhanin; Hieromonks Boris (Zelyuchenko), Damian (Voronov), Ioann (Merzlyakov), Innokenty (Melikhov); and Hierodeacon Vladimir Khachapuridze.

At the Liturgy, Archimandrite Venedict was concelebrated by: Archimandrites Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Forkavets), Luka (Golovkov); Igumen Adrian (Pashin); Hieromonks Kirill (Sorokin), Cassian (Plosky); Priest Valery Dukhanin; Hieromonks Boris (Zelyuchenko), Damian (Voronov), Philaret (Zubov), Ioann (Merzlyakov), Innokenty (Melikhov); and Hierodeacon Vladimir Khachapuridze.

MThA Press Office