Patriarch Alexy meets Orthodox youth in Tula

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church conducted an all-night vigil in the Cathedral of All Saints in Tula on September 20, 2005. The Patriarch was welcomed by young citizens of the city: pupils of the Orthodox school, seminarists, students of the Theological Faculty of Tula State University, and cadets of the military school.

The youth gave the Patriarch flowers and received his blessing.

Archbishop Alexey of Tula and Belev greeted His Holiness on behalf of clergy and parishioners of the Diocese of Tula.

‘We came here to share the joy of the 625^th anniversary of the Kulikovo Battle with the citizens of Tula. We should remember the heroic deed of our ancestors. They were ready give their lives for their Fatherland’, Patriarch Alexy said in his primatial address on the square before the Cathedral.

The destiny of Russia was decided in the Kulikovo field, this victory initiated the release of Russian lands from the foreign yoke, His Holiness noted.

Patriarch Alexy headed the all-night vigil in the Cathedral of All Saints. Among his concelebrants were: Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Alexey of Tula and Belev, Archbishop Pavel of Ryazan and Kasimov, Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov, Bishop Daniel of Yuzhny Sakhalin and Kurily, Bishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad.