MOSCOW: July 19, 2008
His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and Archbishop Chrysostom of Cyprus Celebrate Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra (photo-report)

On the feast of Saint Sergius of Radonezh His Holiness, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra.

On the feast of the uncovering of the precious relics of St Sergius of Radonezh, the primates of the Russian and Cypriote Orthodox Churches presided over the festal divine services in the Cathedral of the Dormition at the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra. 

With His Holiness, Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude, Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as priests who were members of the Cypriote delegation, and members of the Lavra's brotherhood, concelebrated. 

After the Divine Liturgy, the primates of the fraternal Local Churches celebrated a service of supplication to St Sergius of Radonezh on the monastery's main plaza.  In accordance with tradition, the chanting of the feast was provided by a unified choir of singers from the Lavra and from the Moscow seminaries, under the direction of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormil').  The chanters sang from specially erected platforms near the Lavra's bell-tower. 

Present at the divine services was a youth group from several of the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, headed by Protopriest Andrew Sommer, a member of the clergy of the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign, in New York City. 

Following the service of supplication, His Holiness, Patriarch Alexy, and His Beatitude, Archbishop Chrysostomos, venerated the precious relics of St Sergius, and afterwards addressed words of greeting to the thousands of pilgrims who had traveled to the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra from Russia, the Ukraine, Belorussia, and other countries.