In Honor of Holy Trinity, MThA Rector Bishop Kirill Concelebrates with His Holiness the Patriarch at Liturgy in Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra

On June 8, 2025, the Day of Pentecost, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ led the festive divine service at the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh. 

At the Trinity Cathedral of the Lavra, His Holiness was greeted by: the monastery's abbot and Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov; S.A. Pakhomov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Construction and Housing and Communal Services, and Executive Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for the Preservation, Reconstruction, and Development of the Historical Appearance of the City of Sergiev Posad in the Moscow region; O.V. Erokhova, Head of the Sergiev Posad urban district; hierarchs; and clergy.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church proceeded through the Trinity Cathedral to the Lavra's Cathedral Square, where he celebrated the Divine Liturgy.

For the festive Liturgy, a platform was erected on Cathedral Square, and an altar was set up under a canopy in front of the western gates of the Lavra's Dormition Cathedral.

His Holiness was concelebrated by: Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Theognost of Kashira, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism and Abbot of the Stauropegial Donskoy Monastery; Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, Representative of the Serbian Patriarch to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne; Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill's personal secretary; Bishop Mephody of Egorievsk, Acting Chairman of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, Rector of St. Tikhon's Orthodox University for the Humanities, and Abbot of the Stauropegial Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery; Archimandrite Makary (Veretennikov), a resident of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra; Archimandrite Alipy (Kastalsky-Borozdin), a resident of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra; Archpriest Dionisy Kazantsev, Patriarch's secretary for the Moscow region; Hieromonk Athanasius (Arsoski), cleric of the Diocese of Skopje of the Macedonian Orthodox Church; Igumen Alexy (Gorlychev), abbot of the Nikolo-Peshnoshsky Monastery, dean of the monasteries of the Sergiev Posad diocese; Igumen Dionisy (Shlenov), abbot of the Stauropegial St. Andrew's Monastery; Igumen Augustine (Shornikov), abbot of the Borisoglebsky Monastery of the Sergiev Posad diocese; Archpriest Andrey Khmyzov, dean of the Dolgoprudny district of the Sergiev Posad diocese; Archimandrite Diodor (Didkovsky), a resident of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra; Priest Slavko Lalović, cleric of the Metropolis of Zahumlje and Herzegovina and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church; Priest Vasily Losev, head of the legal service of the Moscow Metropolis; residents of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and the monastery's sketes in priestly rank; and clergy of the city of Moscow.

The patriarchal service was attended by: L.E. Slutsky, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, leader of the LDPR faction in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs; S.A. Pakhomov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services and Executive Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for the Preservation, Reconstruction, and Development of the Historical Appearance of the City of Sergiev Posad in the Moscow region; I.N. Kagramanyan, Director of the Healthcare Department of the Government of the Russian Federation; O.V. Erokhova, Head of the Sergiev Posad urban district; V.V. Mikhailov, First Deputy General Director of Russian Railways; A.V. Guts, First Deputy Head of the Department of Corporate Communications of Russian Railways; S.Yu. Rudov, Deputy Head of the World Russian People's Council; M.M. Ivanov, Deputy Head of the World Russian People's Council and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the All-Russian Public Movement "Orthodox Russia"; and I.S. Kharkov, Head of the "Apostol" jewelry and art workshop.

Chanting performed by the choir of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov).

The patriarchal service was broadcast live on the "Soyuz" and "Spas" TV channels, as well as on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarchia.ru.

During the fervent litany, special supplications were raised, and His Holiness read the prayer for Holy Rus’.

A sermon before communion was delivered by Archimandrite Zachariy (Shkurikhin), a resident of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.

After the Liturgy, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Great Vespers of the Feast of Pentecost with the reading of kneeling prayers. This was followed by the prescribed chanting of "Many Years".

The Lavra's abbot, Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov, greeted the Primate of the Russian Church and presented His Holiness with a processional cross as a gift from the Lavra brethren, professors, and students of the MThA. The cross, crafted by the "Apostol" jewelry and art workshop, features an image of the Savior, images of Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity, the appearance of the Mother of God to St. Sergius of Radonezh, and images of the saints Savva of Storozhev, Nikon of Radonezh, and the equals-to-the-apostles Cyril and Methodius.

Bishop Kirill also presented the Primate with a gift set of the recently published three-volume edition of the selected sermons of St. Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky). The publication was prepared and released by the "Kinoviya" cultural and educational center. 

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the faithful with a Primatial word.

At the conclusion of the service, the Primate of the Russian Church, accompanied by hierarchs and clergy, proceeded to the Trinity Cathedral, where he performed the glorification and venerated the venerable relics of St. Sergius and the icon of the Holy Trinity painted by St. Andrey Rublev. His Holiness also venerated the holy objects in the Nikon side chapel and the Serapion Chamber of the Trinity Cathedral.

Afterwards, in the Throne Hall of the Patriarchal chambers of the Lavra, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill bestowed church awards upon a number of residents of the monastery and clerics of the Lavra's sketes who had recently celebrated anniversaries and had worked especially hard for the benefit of the Holy Church.
Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia/MThA Press Office