On March 8, 2026, the Second Sunday of Great Lent, which also marks the commemoration of Gregory Palamas and the feast of the discovery of the relics of Matrona of Moscow (1998), Patriarch Kirill of Moscow visited the Pokrovsky Stauropegial Convent in Moscow.
At the gates of the monastery, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was welcomed by the abbess, Igumenia Theophania (Miskina), together with the sisters of the convent and children from the monastery’s shelter. Among those present to greet him was Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and head of its faction in the State Duma.
Upon arriving at the monastery, Patriarch Kirill venerated the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, which are kept in the Intercession Church, and offered a prayer of glorification. He then presided over the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great at the Church of the Resurrection.
Concelebrating with the Patriarch were several hierarchs and clergy, including Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, and Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, the Patriarch’s personal secretary, along with archimandrites, priests, and clergy of the Pokrovsky Monastery and the Moscow diocese.
Numerous faithful attended the Patriarchal service, including benefactors, officials, and the sisters of the monastery. The liturgical hymns were performed by the monastery choir under the direction of Anna Ivanova.
During the Liturgy, special petitions were offered and Patriarch Kirill read a prayer for “Holy Rus’.” He also ordained Deacon Mikhail Alekumov, a cleric of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino, to the priesthood.
At the conclusion of the service, Abbess Theophania greeted the Patriarch and presented him with an icon of Blessed Matrona of Moscow. In return, Patriarch Kirill gifted the monastery an icon of Mary of Egypt.
Presenting the icon, the Patriarch spoke about the example of the saint, noting that Mary of Egypt represents a profound model of ascetic holiness remembered especially during Great Lent. He encouraged the monastic community to draw spiritual strength from her example and to remain steadfast in their vows, obedience, and prayer.
He concluded by asking the sisters to remember him in their prayers and invoking God’s blessing upon the monastic community.
