« On the feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Dormition Cathedral in London »

On March 22, 2026, the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the feast day of St. John of the Ladder and of the Forty Martyrs of Lake Sebaste, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great at Dormition Cathedral in London.

His Grace was assisted by Archpriest Vitaly Polishchuk, Dean of the Diocesan District of South East England; Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, Secretary of the Diocese of Sourozh; Archpriest Nikita Kozlov; Priest Alexander Kapustin; Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch; Protodeacon Ioann Sylnik; Deacon Sergei Sokolovsky; and Deacon Viktor Nikiforov.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the Dormition Cathedral Choir under the direction of Anna Kobrina.

Before the beginning of the Liturgy, a reliquary containing great Christian relics—a particle of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, and particles of the holy relics of chosen saints—was brought from the altar to the center of the church.

After the Litany of Fervent Supplication, Bishop Matthew offered a prayer for the granting of peace.

During the Liturgy, Bishop Matthew performed the priestly ordination of Deacon Sergei Sokolovsky, a cleric of the parish of All British and Irish Saints in Birmingham.

Following the prayer after the communion, the Archpastor and concelebrating clergy performed a prayerful hymn to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.

Finally, Bishop Matthew addressed the clergy and parishioners with words of sermon and spiritual edification. Simultaneous translation into English was provided by Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch.

His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, in his farewell address to the newly ordained priest Sergei Sokolovsky, wished him God's help in his upcoming pastoral service and presented him with the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and a holy prosphora.

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