« On his name day, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in St. Andrews, Scotland »
30-11-2025 
On November 29, 2025, the feast day of his patron saint, the holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, while on an archpastoral visit to the diocesan district of Scotland, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in St. Andrews.
At the entrance to the ancient chapel of St. Leonard's College, built in 1144, His Grace was greeted with bread and salt and flowers by Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, Secretary of the Diocese of Sourozh, parish treasurer Natalia Korolkova, and young parishioners.
His Grace was assisted at the Divine Liturgy by Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, Secretary of the Diocese of Sourozh; Priest Alexander Menshikov, Dean of the Diocesan District of Scotland and Parish Rector; Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch, a cleric of the Dormition Cathedral in London; and Deacon Sergiy Sokolovsky, a cleric of the Parish of All Saints of Great Britain and Ireland.
The combined choir of the Scottish Deanery performed the liturgical hymns.
The litany of fervent supplications included special petitions for the health of His Grace the Archpastor. Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ, our God, for the blessings bestowed upon His Grace Bishop Matthew, who is now celebrating his name day.
During the communion service, Bishop Matthew bestowed upon Friedrich Koening, who has served as an altar server for many years in the parishes of the Diocese of Sourozh in the cities of Dundee and St. Andrews, the right to wear the orarion.
Following the prayer after the communion, His Grace and the concelebrating clergy performed a prayerful veneration to the holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.
Following the dismissal of the Liturgy, Priest Alexander Menshikov, Dean of the Diocesan District of Scotland and parish rector, addressed His Grace with a congratulatory word. Father Alexander warmly congratulated the Archpastor on his name day, thanked the bishop for his visit on this significant day, and, on behalf of the deanery's parishioners, presented him with an icon of St. Macarius of Aberdeen (6th century), depicted in vestments with the classic Scottish tartan pattern of the Aberdeen region, and a bouquet of flowers.
Bishop Matthew, in turn, thanked Father Alexander for his congratulations and always warm welcome and addressed the clergy and parishioners with a sermon. In recognition of his diligent work for the good of the Holy Church, Igor Marko, a member of the Scottish Deanery's parish choir, was awarded an Archbishop's Certificate.
As a memento of his visit, Vladyka presented the parish with an icon of the Holy Apostle Matthew containing a particle of his holy relics. P
rotodeacon Vadim Santsevitch solemnly proclaimed the "many years" to Bishop Matthew.
All those present were given icons of Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', whose 100th anniversary of repose is celebrated by the entire Russian Orthodox Church in 2025.
A communal festive meal concluded the event, during which congratulations were extended to the namesake Archpastor by the clergy and faithful of the Scottish Deanery.