Uglich, Yaroslavl Province, Russia, October 8, 2024
Photo: yareparhia.ru
A joyous event for the Yaroslavl Diocese and the entire Russian Orthodox Church took place on Sunday, October 6, at the Holy Theophany Monastery in Uglich, when the relics of a 17th-century nun-martyr were placed for veneration for the first time.
In 1609, during devastation of the city of Uglich, Abbess Anastasia and the sisters of Holy Theophany Monastery were tortured and killed. The abbess was later canonized as a saint.
Photo: yareparhia.ru
Her body was reverently buried by the locals near the Church of the Annunciation, and many miracles were worked by prayers at her grave. Remains were found on October 17, 2012, and after a thorough examination, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow determined that they should be considered the precious relics of St. Anastasia of Uglich.
And before the Liturgy on Sunday, the relics were brought to the Holy Theophany Monastery cathedral, where they were greeted by a group of five bishops, Abbess Antonina and her sisters, clergy, monastics, and believers, reports the Yaroslavl Diocese.
After the meeting of the holy relics, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated.
Photo: yareparhia.ru
His Eminence Metropolitan Vadim of Yaroslavl and Rostov offered a word about the feat of St. Anastasia:
Today, an amazingly joyful event occurred—the transfer and glorification of the holy relics of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia of Uglich. This event is separated from the time of her feat by more than four centuries. The saint gave her life for Christ, for the people, for those who were entrusted to her care, shining in the firmament of holiness.
We raise our prayers to her, and in the future, she will not abandon us with her intercession, as she did not abandon those who turned to her before. We have her holy relics for veneration, to which we can prostrate ourselves and ask for what we need for eternal life, to find solace in the abodes of the Heavenly Father.
I cordially congratulate everyone on such a significant event and I am glad that the holy relics of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia will reside in this monastery, and as an eternal abbess, she will, together with Abbess Antonina and the sisters, carry out the work of salvation, to find God’s mercy and truth for those who struggle here, to shine with the feat that would grant us the opportunity to gain forgiveness of our sins and mercy from God, and we do not expect more than that.
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