« The second day of the Annual Conference of the Diocese of Sourozh »

June 1, 2019, the second day of the Annual Conference of the Diocese of Sourozh held at the Hayes Conference Center in Swanwick, Derbyshire, began with a moleben in the chapel of the conference centre before the relics of the synaxis of Saints of the land of Diveevo, served by Bishop Matthew of Sourozh together with clergy of the Sourozh Diocese and guests in holy orders.

After the service, the participants of the Conference heard talks by Archpriest Andrew Louth, Durham, UK;  Archpriest Pavel Velikanov, Sergiev Posad, Russia;  Hieromonk Mark (Underwood), Cardiff, UK; and nun Irina (Merkulova), Diveevo, Russia.

Archpriest Andrew Louth, professor of Durham University, Rector of the church of St. Cuthbert and St. Venerable Bede in the city of Durham, made a presentation on the theme: "Folly for Christ: from Byzantium to Russia."  

Archpriest Pavel Velikanov, Head of the theology department of the Moscow Theological Academy,  senior priest of the Pyatnitsky metochion of the Holy Trinity - St.Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad (Moscow region), gave a lecture on the theme: “The anthropological aspect of folly for Christ".  

Hieromonk Mark (Underwood), cleric of the parish of the Kazan Mother of God in Cardiff and the parish of St.  Prince Vladimir in Cheltenham (ROCOR), reported on the topic: "Female Holy foolishness from the late Imperial Russia to the Soviet period."  

Nun Irina (Merkulova) from the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo monastery, talked in detail about historical descriptions and testimonies of the spiritual feats of the blessed ascetics of Diveevo of the twentieth century.

Executive editor of the magazine “Surozh” A.M. Krasovitsky made a presentation of the new issue of the magazine.

At the end of the presentations, participants were able to ask questions to the speakers on topics of interest to them.

On behalf of His Grace Bishop Irinei of Richmond and West Europe, Archpriest Paul Elliott (ROCOR) addressed the conference participants with words of welcome.

In the afternoon, seminars, round tables and meetings of working groups were held, at which issues related to the main theme of the conference and problems of concern to Orthodox believers in modern daily life have been discussed.

During the conference, a special children's program has been organised, with Archpriest Stephen Platt, Dean of the Diocesan District of Central England, Rector of the church of St.Nicholas the Wonderworker in Oxford, who has been the inspiration and leader of the childrens' programme for many years.

In the evening, the Right Reverend Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, together with the clergy and guests of the diocese, served the Sunday All-night vigil in the chapel of the conference centre.

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