Moscow, October 31, 2025
Photo: apnews.com
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church formally decided at its session yesterday to add St. Olga of Alaska to its liturgical calendar and established a new feast honoring the monastic fathers and all saints who shone forth in Egypt.
The decision to add St. Olga of Alaska to the calendar came following a request from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, reports Patriarchia.ru.
The Holy Synod of the OCA canonized St. Olga on November 8, 2023. Her relics were uncovered in November 2024, and on June 19 of this year, Met. Tikhon led the rite of canonization at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Kwethluk, Alaska.
Like the OCA, the Russian Church will celebrate her feast on October 27/November 9.
The Russian Synod also established a feast of the venerable Fathers who were founders of monasticism and all saints who shone forth in Egypt. The decision was made following reports from Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, and Bishop Pankraty of Troitsk, chairman of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints.
The feast will include all saints who shone forth in Egypt who are included in the Russian Church’s calendar. It will be celebrated on January 19/February 1, the feast of St. Macarius the Great.
The Holy Synod approved the following refrain for the canon dedicated to the feast: “Venerable fathers and all saints of Egypt, pray to God for us.”
The Synod also added the following saints to the Russian calendar and the Egyptian synaxis: Hieromartyr Patapius, Bishop of Kift, Andrew his kinsman, and the martyrs who suffered with them in Esna (July 13/26, c. 312); and Great Martyr Damiana of Egypt and 40 virgin martyrs killed with her (January 8/21, early 4th century).
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, and MeWe!
