Bishop Matthew of Sourozh participated in annual pilgrimage to Beverley »

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, on the eve of the commemoration of St. John of Beverley, Bishop of York, the Wonderworker (+May 7/20, 721), a pilgrimage was held at the Cathedral of Beverley, where the relics of this saint of the undivided Church rest in a reliquary beneath the crypt of the central nave.  

The annual diocesan pilgrimage was led by His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh. During the Divine Liturgy, His Grace was assisted by Secretary of the Sourozh Diocese, Dean of the Northern England Diocesan District, Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko; Rector of the parishes of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg in Leeds, of the Meeting of the Lord in Bradford, of Saints Constantine and Helen in York, and of the Nativity of Christ in Kingston upon Hull, Priest Anatoly Vikhrov; cleric of the Dormition Cathedral in London, Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch; cleric of the Church of Sts. Aidan and Chad in Nottingham, Deacon Paul Wood; and cleric of the Church of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Lands of Britain and Ireland in Birmingham, Deacon Sergei Sokolovsky.  

Liturgical hymns were performed by a combined choir of parishes from the Northern England Deanery, directed by Apollinariya Postlethwaite, choirmaster of the Intercession Church in Manchester.  

Following the prayer behind the ambo, a procession was held to the center of the cathedral, to the resting place of St. John. A brief moleben was celebrated there, the Holy Gospel was read, and Bishop Matthew sprinkled the faithful with holy water from St. John’s spring.  

At the end of the divine service, Priest Anatoly Vikhrov, on behalf of the pilgrims, addressed Bishop Matthew, thanking the Archpastor for his visit and the joy of shared prayer in this holy place. As a token of gratitude, Fr. Anatoly presented His Grace with a bouquet of flowers and a commemorative souvenir.  

In turn, His Grace Bishop Matthew thanked the Dean of Beverley Minster for their warm hospitality and the opportunity to hold regular Orthodox services, commended the pilgrimage organisers for their efforts, and expressed gratitude to the pilgrims from various cities of Northern England, Scotland, and London for their participation. He then addressed the congregation with a sermon.  

The majestic Beverley Minster, a unique monument of Gothic architecture, has been rebuilt multiple times since 1037 (the year of St. John’s canonisation). It stands on the site of a large monastic church founded by St. John in the early 8th century. The altar of the minster houses the stone seat of St. John, while to the right of the altar, beneath a floor richly adorned with rare stonework, lies St. John’s spring.  

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