On July 24 at the resurrection Novodevichy convent was solemnly honored the memory of the Holy Martyr Hilarion, the website of the monastery. Our monastery celebrates the 20th anniversary of the uncovering of his venerable relics.
Since the burial of the Saint, his tomb was a place of pilgrimage and prayer. Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky), who was present at the burial of the Saint, took a special care of the grave of his Eminence Hilarion, in the same spirit acted and his successors in the Department.
In the period of strict prohibition on the administration of worship, that places such as the tomb of the Martyr had become a place of solitary prayer, a space where there is a meeting of man and God. Perhaps that is why we know the burial place of the Martyr. His grave was always well maintained and decorated with fresh flowers.
In 1998, at the confluence of a vast number of clergy, monastics and pilgrims were the relics of a great man of God and preacher of the gospel of Christ during the persecution of the Orthodox Church.
Later the relics of the Saint were transferred to the Sretensky monastery of Moscow, where they prayer revered to this day.
In Voskresensky Novodevichy monastery keeps the relics of the Holy and the clothing in which was buried the Martyr Hilarion.
The divine Liturgy of the feast day was led by Archpriest Andrey Dyakonov, rector of Holy Annunciation Church on Vasilievsky island, co-served by Archpriest Alexei Rakhmanov, the rector of the Church of the Holy apostles Peter and Paul in the village of Krasnaya Dolina, hieromonk Athanasius (Deryugina), Vice-rector of the Sretensky Theological Seminary, the acting Dean of the Sretensky monastery, Abbot Hadrian, Abbot of the Antoniev-Dymskoy of the monastery, Archpriest Eugene Goryanchik, rector of the Church of the icon of the Mother of God “life-giving spring” priest Dimitry norkina, cleric of the Church of Constantine and Helena monastery and the clergy of the Novodevichy monastery.
Deacon, the rite was headed by the archdeacon Nikolai Botkin.
Praying at the service were abbess Sophia, abbess of the Voskresensky Novodevichy convent, and abbess Hilarion, the superior of the Church of Constantine and Helena monastery.
The divine Liturgy ended with a procession to the place of finding of the relics of St. Hilarion.
Archpriest Andrew deacon in his homily recalled the main milestones of the life of the Saint:
“The Ministry of the Holy had the most terrible, dashing years of the tragedy of the Russian revolution and the subsequent godless period. We know that St. Hilarion was born in 1886 in the suburbs.
From childhood he manifested a special desire to learn: in school, in Seminary, in the Seminary and the Moscow theological Academy.
Quite a young age, he began to publish academic and theological works, and received the degree. And in one of his works there is a quote: “Without the Church there is no Christianity. He writes that the Foundation of the Christian faith is, above all, the Church. And in those years it was necessary… it was an open rebellion, desecration of shrines, the closing of temples. He participates in various meetings, conducts the debates with the atheists and atheists, and always emerges victorious.
His creation “no Christianity without the Church” (“Without the Church there is no Christianity”) is relevant today in our time. When the newly atheistic forces intend to undermine the ship of the Orthodox Church.
During his imprisonment, Saint Ilarion had earned the respect, even the guards, who often taunted inmates. Despite all the horrors of prison, he successfully endured the hardships of suffering. The Lord strengthened faithful servant.
But the Bishop died in Saint Petersburg. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) was applied to his body was given decent burial. The body was interred here at Novodevichy cemetery, where it remained until 1998.
Twenty years have passed since the uncovering of the relics of the Holy Hierarch of Christ. In his prayer shines its beauty of the Novodevichy monastery, the sisters, the priesthood and the pilgrims to find here consolation and receive divine grace.
May the Lord through the prayers of the Saint keeps Holy abode, multiplying her spiritual gifts. God Bless You!”
Monk Athanasius (Deryugin), acting Dean of the Sretensky monastery, where the relics of Hieromartyr Hilarion, told us about the veneration of the Saint in Sretensky monastery:
“In our monastery of the Holy Martyr Hilarion is one of the most revered saints. The Saint was Abbot of the Sretensky monastery in 20-e years of the last century. Although the period of his service in the monastery was small – we honor him as the patron of our monastery. His power – the main Shrine of the monastery. 18 years they rested in the temple of Sretenie of the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God and the sanctification of the new Cathedral dedicated to Christ’s Resurrection and new Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, was moved there on may 25, 2017.
Especially solemnly in the monastery are the feasts of the Saint. These holidays we have three. 28 December – the main day of remembrance, day of the death of the Holy Martyr Hilarion. This day to worship, going to the Seminary graduates in the past year, servants of the clergy on this occasion was about 100. Before, during the vigil, students of the Seminary are blessed to wear cassocks. In short, this celebration is the Central event and to the Sretensky monastery, and the Sretensky Seminary.
The second day of the memory of the Holy Martyr Hilarion – July 24. And third, the local, the feast of our monastery – may 10, the day of the relics of the Saint in Sretensky monastery and worship him in our abode. By the way, in our monastery was written in the service of Hieromartyr Hilarion.
Three times a week prayer is made Holy. Brothers and seminarians are attached to his relics, asking for blessings for the coming works. And the meal at the monastery read the works of Saint – are, monks, and students to more deeply explore this wonderful spiritual leaders of the twentieth century.”