« On the eve of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the all-night vigil at the Dormition Cathedral in London »

On the evening of February 8, 2025, on the eve of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee and the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh officiated the All-Night Vigil at the Dormition Cathedral in London.

His Grace was assisted by the Dean of the South-East England Deanery, Archpriest Vitaly Polishchuk, Priest Alexander Kapustin, and Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Dmitry Tugarinov.

During the Polyeleos, a reliquary containing great Christian relics—a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, a piece of the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, and relics of selected saints—was brought out from the altar to the center of the church.

At Matins, after the reading of the 50th Psalm, the choir sang a hymn from the Lenten Triodion, "Open to Me the Doors of Repentance."

The first sticheron, "Open to Me the Doors of Repentance," is based on the parable of the Publican, using its imagery to express a feeling of repentance. The second hymn, "On the Paths of Salvation," is inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son. The third, "The Multitude of My Evil Deeds," is based on Christ's prophecy about the Last Judgment.

After the reading of the Gospel, His Grace anointed the clergy and the faithful with consecrated oil.

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