Belgorod, Belgorod Province, Russia, August 1, 2025
Photo: beleparh.ru
А reliquary containing the holy relics of Patriarch St. Tikhon of Moscow visited the Holy Belgorod region on July 30, where it was received at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with a large gathering of faithful. The relics were brought to the city from Alekseevka, marking the first meeting with residents of the Belgorod Province.
His Eminence Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, together with His Grace Bishop Avel of Gubkin and Graivoron, carefully carried the reliquary to the cathedral walls, where they served a moleben with the clergy of the metropolia. Following this, Met. John led the All-Night Vigil in the cathedral, reports the Belgorod Diocese.
Notably, the head of the Belgorod Metropolia was wearing an omophorion that belonged to St. Tikhon himself. The Metropolitan explained:
St. Tikhon was in America and conducted missionary work there to establish Orthodoxy. His vestments remained there. Once, while serving in an Orthodox church in Boston, people who kept this holy relic approached me and presented it to me, saying: “We’d like you to ordain priests of the Russian Orthodox Church in this omophorion.” Following this covenant, I continue to this day to celebrate the rite of ordination in the omophorion of His Holiness Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia and Confessor.
Photo: beleparh.ru
The relics were brought to the Belgorod Metropolia as part of an all-Russian cross procession dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the blessed repose of St. Tikhon. The large-scale procession began on April 6, in the capital and will conclude on October 9, covering at least 90 major cities in Russia and Belarus.
Fr. Maxim Maruk from the Sergiev Posad Diocese directly accompanies the relics on their journey. He emphasized the importance and timeliness of bringing the relics to cities across the country:
It’s very important that we pray specifically to St. Tikhon here and now, because he himself endured much during the years of persecution of believers. He endured much, but thanks to humility and meekness he withstood and defended the Church, the unity of believers. There are no persecutions of faith now, but there is another sorrow—this internecine strife between the fraternal peoples of Russia and Ukraine. Everyone on that side has relatives and loved ones, our brothers and sisters. The Belgorod Province is long-suffering in this sense. It was sad to hear from local residents how shelling occurs, how innocent people die. We came to you to pray, to support you in this difficult time.
It was on St. Tikhon’s initiative that the celebration of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land was established, and St. Tikhon himself heads the Synaxis of New martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church.
Photo: beleparh.ru
On the morning of July 31, Orthodox believers in Stary Oskol bid farewell to the great relic. The reliquary was then delivered to the Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Gubkin. After this, the relics will travel to Kursk, continuing their cross procession through the cities of Russia.
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