His Holiness the Patriarch visits the diocese of Ryazan

HIS HOLINESS THE PATRIARCH VISITS THE DIOCESE OF RYAZAN

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia was on a primatial visit to the diocese of Ryazan from June 28 to July 3, 2002. The main feature of the visit was the translating of the relics of St. Theophanes the Recluse from the Emmanuilovka village to the Vyshensky monastery in which the saint followed his calling for 28 years.

During his first day in Ryazan, His Holiness visited the Ryazan Military Automobile Institute for a talk with its faculty and students. Present was also Ryazan Governor Vyacheslav Liubimov. His Holiness called them to continue the best traditions of the Russian Army, taking as an example St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Dimitry Donskoy and other glorious military leaders glorified by the Church. The Primate also underlined that the Church always supported the army in prayer and treated it with profound respect. “Throughout the millennium-long history of Russia, the Church and the Army have always been united”, he said.

His Holiness also visited the military Chapel of the Resurrection restored in the territory of the institute. It was built in 1914, but closed three years later when the revolutionary upheaval began. For decades it was used as a warehouse, then it was turned into a club and later into a library. In 2001, a Patrons’ Board was established for the restoration of the church. Students of the institute took an active part in the restoration work. The military chapel was consecrated on June 5, 2002, by Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov. The institute leaders were awarded high church decorations in acknowledgement of their effort for the restoration of the Church.

On the following day, Patriarch Alexy celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Chapel of the Resurrection at the Ryazan Military Automobile Institute.

Later that day, His Holiness led the celebrations at the Vyshensky Monastery of the Dormition. St. Theophanes the Recluse lived as hermit and was buried there. In the years of militant atheism the monastery was closed, its premises used for various household purposes. From 1938 to this day, there has been a mental house in the territory of the monastery. After Theophanes the Recluse was canonized in 1989, his relics were translated to the Emmanuilovka village as there was the only acting church in the area in it. After the Cathedral Church of the Dormition was restored in the Vyshensky monastery, His Holiness Alexy has ordered that the relics of the saint be brought back to their original place.

Over 10 thousand people took part in the procession with the cross and the holy relics of St. Theophanes. Among them were monks from the Kiev Laura of the Caves, Athonite monasteries, and guests from Georgia. Addressing the participants in the prayerful march, His Holiness Alexy expressed hope that, with the holy relics of St. Theophanes the Recluse returned to the Vyshensky monastery, it would become again the spiritual center of the Ryazan land. His Holiness also said that he would ask the local authorities and the Ministry of Health to transfer the regional mental clinic, which still occupies most of the monastery buildings.

On July 30, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia consecrated the Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Ryazan Kremlin. It was built as far back as the 14th century by Prince Oleg of Ryazan with the blessing of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The old church could not accommodate dozens of thousands of the city dwellers who came for the Patriarchal service. For them, the service was broadcast to the cathedral square. The celebrations culminated in a thanksgiving to St. Basil of Ryazan, the patron saint of the city, celebrated at the cathedral square.

Later that day Patriarch Alexy consecrated the Church of the Holy Intercession at Ryazan Pedagogical University. It occupies what was a Women’s Diocesan School over 100 ago. There was a domestic chapel in the school. Now the university uses it as a reading and an assembly hall. When the faculty and students came out with the idea to restore the church, it was decided not to restore the domestic chapel, but to build a new church near the university building.

Patriarch Alexy met with the city public at the conference-hall of the Ryazan State Pedagogical University. In his address he expressed hope that Russia would return to the traditional values that sustained our people and state for many centuries. His Holiness also expressed conviction that a more active church-state dialogue would contribute in many ways to the development of secular theological education. Just as in many other higher education institutions in the country, the Ryazan Pedagogical University has recently established a chair of theology. His Holiness also presented to the audience the four volumes of Orthodox Encyclopedia published to date and gave its copies to Governor Liubimov and the university.

His Holiness decorated the president of the university, Anatoly Liferov, with the Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles in acknowledgement of his contribution to the revival of spiritual culture in the sphere of education.