The Opening of the Relics of Our Father Among the Saints Mardarije in midwest US

The Opening of the Relics of Our Father Among the Saints Mardarije With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Longin of New Gracanica and Midwestern America, the relics of St. Mardarije, which have laid in the Church of St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois, since his internment in December 1935, were uncovered. The opening revealed St. Mardarije’s holy relics to be incorrupt. On Thursday, May 4, 2017, His Grace Bishop Longin served Divine Liturgy at St. Sava Monastery with Sindjel Serafim (Milojkovic), Priest Nikolaj Kostur and Hierodeacon Nektarije (Tesanovic), in preparation for uncovering the relics. Following the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Longin and the other clergy served a Moleban with the Akathist written to St. Mardarije. Upon completion, the crew organized to remove the tombstone and flooring in order to exhume the relics arrived, under the guidance of Mr. Dusan Djordjevic of Sveta Gora Funeral Home in Chicago. After removal of the stone, it was revealed that the casket of St. Mardarije was in a cement vault. This caused the opening to be delayed one additional day in order to organize a team to open the vault. On Friday morning, May 5, 2017, the workers broke the seal of the vault, while Priest Nikolaj Kostur and Heirodeacon Nektarije (Tesanovic) served a Moleban to St. Mardarije at the tomb in the presence of Bishop Longin and Hieromonk Serafim (Milojkovic). Throughout the entire process of exhumation, “Christ is Risen” and other Paschal hymns were sung, both in Serbian and Russian tones, knowing St. Mardarije’s deep love and dedication to both Slavic traditions. Once the seal of the vault was broken, every effort was taken to lift the cover. During this process, the cover of the vault shifted and fell on the casket, breaking its cover. At this moment, a sweet smelling fragrance arose from the tomb, quickly dissipating. However, it became evident that the Saint was buried facing the west instead of east. This in and of itself is miraculous. It manifested the Providence of God. Had St. Mardarije been buried in the proper direction, the vault cover would have fallen on the side of the casket where his holy head rested. It was visible that his feet had decayed and were bones. Frs. Serafim and Nikolaj lifted the relics out of the tomb during the singing of “Christ is Risen.” The relics were light in weight and easily placed in a temporary metal coffin. Hereupon the feet were examined, which at this point were the only visible part of the remains. The bones of the feet were goldish-yellow in color. Then, Fr. Nikolaj Kostur proceeded to examine the mid-section of the body. St. Mardarije’s Holy hands were holding the cross which was firmly in place and immovable. As Fr. Nikolaj pulled back the sleeve of the saccos, it was revealed that the hands of St. Mardarije were completely intact. Clearly visible were his skin, fingernails and hair. At this point, it was evident that the relics were more than just bones. The holy relics of St. Mardarije were lifted out of the metal coffin and placed on two tables which were prepared for the examination and washing of the holy relics. All of the vestments and clothing were carefully removed, cutting that which could not easily be taken off in order to not disturb the holy relics. Most reverent and diligent care and utmost attention were given to the work that was being done; the clergy continuously sang the troparion to St. Mardarije and other Paschal hymns. After all the vestments were removed, it was revealed that the holy relics, from the knee upward, were intact, although very fragile. The Saint’s anatomy was intact with his skin and hair visible. When the mitre was removed, his long, dark hair flowed out, confirming his continued monastic struggle until the end of his days. The hair on his head and beard looked as though he had just reposed; it was very soft. The eyebrows and eyelashes of his closed eyes were visible. Also, his ears were still intact. The body was easily lifted and moved. There was a great deal of dust which had accumulated in the grave from the nearly eighty-two years since the burial. Upon the removal of the dust from the entire body, the holy relics were washed with warm water and white wine. Hereupon spikenard oil was was used to anoint the body, according to the instructions received from the Holy Monastery of Hilandar. After the anoninting, the color of the skin changed from tan to a dark brown. After the washing and anointing, the legs, hands and torso were all wrapped in cotton and linen, making the holy relics more easily movable. Following this process, the holy relics were temporarily vested in a stiharion until his vesting takes place before his Glorification in July 2017. His face was covered with linen, and he was returned to the temporary metal coffin and covered. Truly, God is wondrous in His Saints, showing us all His Divine power and that nature is subject to God’s grace. All of those that partook in this experience, from the clergy to the workers, were moved with the joy and spiritual peace that filled the church during the uncovering of the holy relics. St. Mardarije lives on, not only in his legacy, but now through his incorrupt relics which will be a renewed rudder for the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, guiding us to move into the future, being directed by the past. May we follow St. Mardarije on the path of St. Sava, which lead him to sanctity. Our Holy Hierarch, Father Mardarije, pray unto God for us! Christ is risen! Priest Nikolaj Kostur Chairman of the Liturgical Sub-Committee for the Glorification of St. Mardarije

On the Feast of the Cathedral of the New Martyrs, in Butovo, the Primate of the Russian Church performed the Liturgy on the Butovo landfill mp

On the Feast of the Cathedral of the New Martyrs, in Butovo, the Primate of the Russian Church performed the Liturgy on the Butovo landfill mp On the Feast of the Cathedral of the New Martyrs, in Butovo, the Primate of the Russian Church performed the Liturgy on the Butovo landfill В праздник Собора новомучеников, в Бутове пострадавших, Предстоятель Русской Церкви совершил Литургию на Бутовском полигоне print version May 13, 2017 14:42 On May 13, 2017, on the Feast of the New Martyrs' Council in Butovo, the victims (a passing celebration on the 4th Saturday after Easter), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the open air at Butovskiy polygon - the place of mass shootings and burial of victims of political repressions , Including many clerics and laity, now glorified in the congregation of the New Martyrs. On the Butovo landfill was brought the ark with particles of the relics of all the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church, whose remains were found in the years of the revival of church life. In the year of the 100th anniversary of the 1917 revolution, the ark with the relics of the New Martyrs and Confessors will be brought to all the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. During the Liturgy His Holiness was co-served by: Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna , Patriarchal governor of the Moscow diocese; Metropolitan Istra Arseny , First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Moscow; Archbishop Evgeny Vereisky , Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Feghnost of Sergiev Posad , chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism , governor of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra ; Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk , head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Ilyan (Vostryakov) ; Bishop Guri (Shalimov) ; Bishop Vidnovsky Tikhon ; Bishop Dmitrovsky Theophylact , governor of St. Andrew's Stauropegial Monastery ; Bishop Jerome (Chernyshov) ; Bishop Tikhon of Podolsky ; Bishop Orekhovo-Zuevsky Panteleimon , chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service ; Bishop of the Resurrection Savva , first deputy administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, governor of the Novospassky stauropegial monastery ; Bishop Nikolai of Balashikha ; Bishop Constantine of Zaraisk ; Bishop Bronnitsky Paramon , governor of the Don Stavropigial Monastery ; Bishop Peter Lukhovitsky ; Protopriest Vladimir Divakov , secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Moscow; Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov) , the governor of Danilov, a stauropegic monastery ; Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev , key-holder of the cathedral church of Christ the Savior of Moscow; Protopriest Nikolai Balashov , Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations ; Protopriest Mikhail Egorov, Secretary of the Moscow Regional Diocesan Administration ; Archimandrite Nestor (Zhilyaev), Dean of the Odintsovo District of the Moscow Diocese; Protopriest Alexander Ageykin , rector of the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow; Protopriest Dimitry Smirnov , Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Family, Maternity and Childhood Protection ; Protopriest Kirill Kaleda, Rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia at Butovo Range ; The clergy of Moscow and the Moscow region. The divine service was attended by: Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, M.A. Fedotov; Head of the Leninsky Municipal District of the Moscow Region O.V. Khromov. Liturgy was prayed for by the abbesses and inhabitants of a number of women's monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, numerous pilgrims from Moscow and the Moscow region. Liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University (regent TI Koroleva). Divine service was broadcast live on Soyuz . After a special litany, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church offered a prayer for peace in Ukraine. Then, there were petitions for the repose of the souls of the deceased servants of God, "for the faith and the truth, terrible suffering and torture during the years of persecution and persecution of the Church of Christ endured, afflicted and killed, from disease, grief and cold, in dungeons and bonds and in this martyrdom Their deceased archpastors, pastors, monastics and laity, their names are You, Lord, are weights. " Preacher before the communion spoke abbot Peter (Eremeev) , the governor of the High-Petrovsky stauropegial monastery . At the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill performed a moleben to the holy new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church and the funeral litany for all those who died and were buried at the Butovo landfill. The rector of the church on the Butovskiy proving ground, Protopriest Kirill Kaleda, greeted His Holiness and presented His Holiness with a red miter. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the believers with the First-Hierarchal Word . As a gift to the rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, the Primate of the Russian Church handed over the Easter egg.