On the 5th Sunday after Pentecost, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God in Manchester »
06-07-2026 
On July 5, 2026, on the 5th Sunday after Pentecost, the feast day of the martyr Alban of Britain (3rd - early 4th centuries), His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God in Manchester.
His Grace was assisted by Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, Secretary of the Diocese of Sourozh, Dean of the Northern England Diocesan District, and Deputy Dean of the Church of the Intercession; Priest Anatoly Vikhrov, head of the Pilgrimage Department of the Diocese of Sourozh and Rector of parishes in Leeds, Bradford, York, and Kingston upon Hull, and Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch, cleric of the Dormition Cathedral in London.
The parish choir performed the liturgical hymns under the direction of choirmaster Apollinaria Postlethwaite.
After the litany of fervent supplication, Bishop Matthew offered a prayer for peace.
At the litany for the departed, prayers were offered for the ever-memorable Archbishop Anatoly (Kuznetsov) and the long-time churchwarden Mariane Greenan, through whose efforts the Church of the Intercession was built and the foundation of Orthodox parish life in Manchester was laid.
Following the prayer after the communion, the Archpastor and concelebrating clergy performed a prayerful hymn before the icon of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco (Maximovich) containing a particle of his holy relics, whose feast day had been celebrated on July 2.
Following the dismissal of the Liturgy, Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko addressed His Grace with a welcoming address.On behalf of the clergy, church activists, and parishioners, Father Dimitry warmly thanked His Grace Vladyka Matthew for his archpastoral visit and his special paternal care for the Manchester parish, after which he presented His Grace with a bouquet of flowers.
Bishop Matthew then addressed the participants in the divine service with words of sermon and spiritual edification. Simultaneous translation into English was provided by Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch.
In recognition of their diligent labors for the benefit of the Holy Church, Bishop Matthew awarded Edgar Kevrelis, Julia Kevrele, Konstantin Rainkin, and Alexander Ilchenko with episcopal blessings certificates.
All parishioners were given small icons and wall calendars published by the publishing house of the Dormition Cathedral in London.
Following the divine service, a communal festive meal was held.