Sergiev Posad, Moscow Province, Russia, October 9, 2026
Photo: patriarchia.ru
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia led the Divine Liturgy in the Dormition Cathedral of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra on Thursday, the feast of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the abbot and wonderworker whose repose the Church marks on October 8.
27 hierarchs served with His Holiness, joined by Lavra and Moscow clergy. Representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and the Orthodox Church in America also concelebrated, reports Patriarchia.ru.
During the Liturgy, Hierodeacon Grigory (Trofimov) of St. Andrew’s Monastery in Moscow was ordained to the priesthood. The Patriarch also read a prayer for Holy Rus’ during the augmented litany.
Photo: patriarchia.ru
After the Liturgy, the Patriarch served a moleben before the venerated icon of St. Sergius. He then addressed the faithful with his primatial word and gave the monastery a banner depicting St. Sergius blessing Prince Dmitry Donskoy.
In his homily, Patriarch Kirill called St. Sergius “a remarkable man” who became “a real spiritual leader of the entire people” without holding any levers of human power. He said the example shows that “God’s power is made perfect in weakness,” citing 2 Corinthians 12:9.
“It pleased the Lord that Rus’ be led not by some great military commander, not by some wise ruler, but by a humble monk who lived in the forest,” the Patriarch said, noting that this was the very place where those present were standing.
Photo: patriarchia.ru
According to the Patriarch, this meant the people were guided “not by political programs, not by political philosophy,” but by the Word of God and the Orthodox faith, which they made the foundation of their personal, family, public and state life.
The Patriarch called this a strong example for those in power and for thinking people in government, showing that God’s power can help with state and public tasks as well as personal ones. He prayed that St. Sergius’ example would keep inspiring those in authority and monastics alike, so that no monastic would ever grumble that people outside the monastery live differently. Even the humblest monastic feat, he said, can bring enormous good to many people and to the country.
He closed by asking that, through the prayers of St. Sergius, the Lord keep Russia, its rulers, and its devout people, and protect them from enemies.
Photo: patriarchia.ru
Afterward, the Patriarch went to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he chanted the glorification before the relics of St. Sergius.
By tradition, hierarchical services were also held in other churches of the Lavra that day. Metropolitan Barsanuphy of St. Petersburg led the Liturgy in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy in the Sergius Refectory Church, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent in the Holy Spirit Church, Metropolitan Theodosy of Tambov in the Protection Academy Church, and Metropolitan Philip of Syktyvkar in the Chernigov Skete.
The Patriarchal Liturgy was broadcast live:
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