The Relics of Holy New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna and Nun Varvara are Greeted at Christ the Savior Church

On the evening of February 21, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia performed all-night vigil at Christ the Savior Church, along with a multitude of clergymen of the Moscow Patriarchate. His Grace Bishop Michael, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, prayed during the divine services.

During the polyeleos, the Patriarch met the relics of Holy New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna and Nun Varvara, brought to Moscow from Obninsk, at the western doors.

After the transfer of the reliquaries to Christ the Savior Church, where the relics are offered to the faithful for veneration, the Patriarch addressed the people with a sermon, in which His Holiness remarked that the first joint action of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia began in the city of Moscow on July 25, 2004, and was concluding here now: a seven-month procession of the cross with the honorable relics of SS Elizaveta and Varvara throughout the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy expressed his gratitude to the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, and to all those who participated in the organization of the procession of the cross with the relics of the martyrs of Alapaevsk. The uncorrupted relics of the martyrs visited 61 dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, more than 140 cities of Russia, and also Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Kyrghizia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. By preliminary estimates, some 10 million residents of Russia and the countries of the "near abroad" were able to venerate the relics.

The relics of SS Elizaveta Feodorovna and Nun Varvara will be available for veneration at the Church of Christ the Savior until February 27. On the following day, after a moleben at the church, the relics will be returned to Jerusalem.

Sedmitza.ru