Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite performed the presbyter's and deacon's ordination at the Divine Liturgy

On November 7 and 8, the Church Sunday honors the memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki and remembers the great earthquake which occurred in Constantinople in 740.

The Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki was born in a family of secret Christians. His parents brought him up in faith and good manners. In 305 Emperor Galerius Maximian appointed a young man as a proconsul of the Thessalonian region. The emperor ordered Demetrius to exterminate Christians, but the saint returned to Thessaloniki and preached Christianity. Maximian found it out and decided to punish the young proconsul. Demetrius openly confessed his faith in front of the emperor and was taken into custody. On 26 October 306 soldiers assassinated the saint with spears.

Today the Church also recalls the great and terrible earthquake that took place in 740 in the Byzantine Empire and was devastating in Constantinople. Believers saw in it a sign of the end of an iconoclastic period started by Emperor Leo III. This event reflected in liturgical texts of the day.

On November 7, Archimandrite Platon (Igumnov), co-served with ordained students and teachers, officed an all-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church.

On November 8, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy in a seminarian church in honor of the Great martyrs Barbara, Anastasia and Akilina.

After the Cherubic Song, Bishop Theodorite ordained a second-year Master student Deacon Dimitri Lukachenkov into a presbyter.

At the end of the Eucharistic Canon, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite ordained a third-year postgraduate student Subdeacon Vadim Parakhin into a deacon.

After the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Theodorite greeted Deacon Dimitri Maslov on his name-day and presented him a collection of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov’s works. 

Archimandrite Benedict (Knyazev) performed the Divine Liturgy in the Intercession Academic Church.

Before the Holy Communion, Hieromonk Tavrion (Smykov) gave a sermon, in which he spoke about the meaning of the Gospel parable about the rich man and Lazarus and recalled a life of the Great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

Background information:

Chanting at the all-night vigil in the Intercession Academic performed by a male choir under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and a female choir led by S.P. Borovinskaya. 

Chanting at the Divine Liturgy in a home church in honor of the Great martyrs Barbara, Anastasia and Akilina performed by a male choir under Vitaliy Chuvilov’s conduct. 

Chanting at the Liturgy in the Intercession Church performed by a female choir under the conduct of S.P. Borovinskaya.

MThA Press Office