Statues of 20th century martyrs blessedat the Westminster Abbey

STATUES OF 20TH CENTURY MARTYRS BLESSED AT THE WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Ten statues of the 20th century martyrs were blessed on July 9 at the Westminster Abbey in London. The sculptural images of martyrs who came from various Christian confessions have been placed in niches under the western portal of the church. Among the ten images is that of St. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyedorovna, an English woman by origin, who founded the Convent of Sts Martha and Mary in Moscow and died a martyr’s death in 1918.

Present at the service were the Queen of England Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Edinburgh, a great-nephew of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyedorovna, as well as numerous relatives of the martyrs.

The divine service at which Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey officiated began with an ecumenical procession. Participating in it among other high guests were Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh. Archbishop Gregory of Thyateira (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch, Bishop Basil of Sergiyevsk, President of St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyev, and Archpriest Arcady Shatov, rector of the church of St. Prince Dimitry at the First City Hospital in Moscow. Present at the service were members of the Co-ordinating Committee for Co-operation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England, hegumen Ioann (Ekonomtsev), head of the Department for Religious Education and Catechism, and hieromonk Hilarion (Alfeyev), Department for External Church Relations’ secretary for inter-Christian relations.

The statue of the Orthodox Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna will now meet every one entering the Westminster Abbey, one of the main churches of the Anglican Church.