On the Second Sunday after Holy Pascha (The Sunday of St. Thomas), His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of Chisinau and all Moldova, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Metropolitan Cathedral in the centre of Chisinau.
Arch-priest Vadim Cheibas, Cathedral Dean and Metropolitan Secretary, Archimandrite Savatie (Cvasnai), spiritual administrator of St. John Chrysostomos Monastery of Suri and St. Joachim and Anna skete in Miciurin, Drochia, and other clergy assisted the metropolitan during the service.
Special litany and prayers during the liturgy were uttered for the commemoration of the reposed.
During the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Vladimir ordained hierodeacon Ioan (Cojocari) into the dignity of hieromonk for the Monastery of St. John Chrysostomos in Suri, Drochia.
Nun Superior Vasa (Balan) of the Monastery of St. John Chrysostomos, Nun Superior Iachima (Sacovschi) of St. Joachim and Anna skete in Miciurin, Drochia, participated in the Liturgy along with numerous church-goers.
With the arch-pastor’s blessing, Archpriest Vadim Cheibas addressed a message of pastoral guidance on the Gospel Reading, speaking about the Holy Apostle Thomas, commemorated this Sunday:
“This Sunday is called the Sunday of Holy Apostle Thomas, because the second main protagonist after our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel Reading is Apostle Thomas. The Gospel shows to the believers the importance of the confession of faith. That is why, in order to assure Apostle Thomas of the reality of His Resurrection, Lord Jesus Christ appears again before His disciples on the eighth day after Resurrection, entering through the locked doors and greeting them with the words: “Peace to you!” and then inviting Thomas: “Reach your finger here and look at my hands; and reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20: 27). By these words, the Lord invites all of us to convince ourselves of His Holy Resurrection”, said Fr. Vadim.
Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Mass-Media Relations