On the Second Sunday of Great Lent, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral in London »
08-03-2026 
On March 8, 2026, on the Second Sunday of Great Lent, the feast day of St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great at the Dormition Cathedral in London.
His Grace was assisted by Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky, Dean of the Diocesan District of South East England Archpriest Vitaly Polishchuk, Secretary of the Diocese of Sourozh Archpriest Dmitry Nedostupenko, Archpriest Nikita Kozlov, Priest Alexander Kapustin, Protodeacon Vadim Santsevtich, Protodeacon Ioann Sylnik, and Deacon Viktor Nikiforov.
The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Dormition Cathedral under the direction of Dmitry Tugarinov.
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 peace.
Following the dismissal of the Liturgy, Bishop Matthew addressed the clergy and parishioners with a sermon and words of spiritual edification. Simultaneous translation into English was provided by Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch.
His Grace the Archpastor warmly congratulated Archpriest Vitaly Polishchuk on the 16th anniversary of his priestly ordination the previous day and presented Father Vitaly with a bouquet of flowers.