MUNICH: June 16, 2017
The Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad Performs the Great Consecration of the Cathedral of Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia

On Wednesday, June 14, 2017, having concluded its meetings, the members of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia performed a moleben at the grave of Holy Martyr Alexander (Schmorell) of Munich, after which they headed for the Cathedral of Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Munich, Germany, where they performed all-night vigil.

On Thursday, June 16, the main church of the German Diocese, the Cathedral of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Munich was consecrated. Heading the service was His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine; His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. They were joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Germany and Northwestern Europe of the Romanian Orthodox Church; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe; His Eminence Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America; His Eminence Archbishop Irenei of Nezhinsk and Priluksk; His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America; His Eminence Archbishop Agapit of Stuttgart; His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle; His Grace Bishop George of Canberra; His Grace Bishop Andrei of Austria and Switzerland of the Serbian Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan; His Grace Bishop Evsevy of Shepetovsk and Slavutsk; His Grace Bishop Tikhon of Egoriev; His Grace Bishop Isaiah of Shumpersk of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and His Grace Bishop Irenei of Sacramento.

Joining the hierarchs in the service was also Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, some 60 clergymen of the German Diocese, visiting clerics from the Russian Orthodox Church and of other Local Orthodox Churches.

Since that day is a national holiday in Bavaria and other German regions, a great multitude of worshipers were able to attend from Munich and other parishes.

Metropolitan Onouphry congratulated the cathedral’s parishioners at the end of service. Decrees of blessing from the Council of Bishops of ROCOR were then read to the Ruling Bishop of the German Diocese and the cathedral’s clergymen and parishioners as well as the abbess and nuns of nearby St Elizabeth Convent. A decree of blessing was likewise presented to Archbishop Kyrill to mark the 25th anniversary of his episcopal service.

A festive trapeza luncheon then followed.