On 3 October 2019, the day of remembrance of the holy Great Martyr Eustathius, the Head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Convent in Tashkent. The evening before, the archpastor celebrated a polyeleos service at the Church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh in Navoi.
At the Liturgy His Eminence was assisted by Archpriest John Kuleshov, Priest Alexander Balukhatin, Hieromonk Spiridon (Pozdeev), Deacon Valery Ryzhov, Deacon Igor Sladkov and Deacon Mikhail Mezhovikov.
Also praying at the service were the abbess of the convent, Hegumenia Ekaterina (Malgina), and the sisters of the holy community.
At the end of the Liturgy Metropolitan Vikenty addressed the worshippers with his archpastoral word, in which he congratulated everyone on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
“The Cross of the Lord lay in the ground for three centuries. And as the holy fathers say, it sanctified the earth with grace and the Blood of Christ. It is the life-giving tree; to this day it pours forth a grace-filled power that guards, defends and shelters us and delivers us from all the snares of the enemy. Blessed are all of us who venerate the Cross of the Lord, for it is our strength, our defence, the sign of the victory of good over evil, the altar on which Christ the Saviour offered Himself in sacrifice.
Under the banner of the Cross of the Lord we carry out our service on earth for as long as the Lord grants us time to serve. In venerating the Cross of the Lord we venerate Christ's sufferings on the Cross and His love for us, with which He redeemed us from sin, the curse and death. In venerating the Cross we venerate the mercy of God. By this very feat Christ the Saviour reconciled us with God and granted us eternal joy, provided, of course, that we take up our own cross and bear it worthily to the end of our lives.”
