A relic of St. Spyridon of Trimythous—the saint’s right hand—arrived in Russia from the island of Corfu. On August 18, Patriarch Kirill led a solemn service welcoming the relic at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Together with the Greek delegation, he prayed for peace, the unity of the Church, and the strengthening of the faithful.

The relic is being accompanied by Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, whom Patriarch Kirill awarded the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov. In return, the Greek hierarch presented the patriarch with a cross bearing the star of St. Spyridon. During its visit to Russia, the relic will travel to 12 regions, including Cheboksary, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, and Yekaterinburg, where the faithful will have the opportunity to venerate it. St. Spyridon, a fourth-century bishop of Trimythous, is remembered for his compassion and numerous miracles.

This week also saw the discovery of the relics of St. Dmitry Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Anthropological research confirmed the authenticity of the remains, which were found to be almost completely preserved, with the exception of the left heel bone. With Patriarch Kirill’s blessing, portions of the relics will be distributed to churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. The faithful will also be able to venerate them in central churches, and plans are underway to bring particles of the relics to the Moscow-wide procession on September 6 and to make them available for military personnel.

On August 21, President Vladimir Putin visited the Archangel Cathedral and attended a prayer service. He described the discovery as “miraculous” and emphasized its importance for historical memory. It was also reported that Schema-Archimandrite Eliy (Nozdrin) had blessed public efforts to locate the relics in 2023, highlighting Grand Prince Dmitry’s continuing intercession. Dmitry Donskoy, Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir, led the Russian army at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo. He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988.

The primates of the Serbian, Macedonian, and Orthodox Churches in America, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, congratulated Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine on the twelfth anniversary of his enthronement. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church marked the anniversary this week. In their messages, the hierarchs expressed fraternal prayerful support and praised Metropolitan Onuphry’s steadfastness and faithfulness to Christ amid the difficult circumstances facing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The messages came as tensions between the Church and Ukrainian authorities continue, alongside legislative restrictions affecting religious organizations linked to Russia.

Bulgaria commemorated the 1,150th anniversary of the presumed birth of St. John of Rila and the 1,080th anniversary of his repose. Patriarch Daniel described the saint as a spiritual guide and heavenly patron of the Bulgarian people, emphasizing his example of faith, humility, and service to God.

The celebrations coincided with the visit to Bulgaria of the Myrrh-Streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. On August 17, the icon was solemnly received at Rila Monastery and carried in procession to the monastery’s main church. Patriarch Daniel called its presence in Bulgaria a great blessing, noting that both St. John of Rila and the wonderworking icon unite the faithful in prayer.

The Romanian Orthodox Church glorified three new saints on August 16 at Văratec Monastery: Venerable Nazaria, Venerable Olympiada, and Elizabeth (Safta) Brâncoveanu. Patriarch Daniel said that the three women were united by constant prayer, humble mercy, and active love for their neighbors.

After suffering serious losses in her family, Nazaria entered monastic life and became the first abbess of Văratec Monastery in 1788. Olympiada helped establish the monastery, cared for its residents, and promoted the tradition of the Jesus Prayer. Elizabeth Brâncoveanu, who came from a noble family, devoted much of her life to charitable work.

In Herceg Novi, Montenegro, the thirteenth “Cyrillic Square” festival opened this week. Held with the blessing of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, the festival is dedicated to the Serbian language, Cyrillic script, history, and Orthodox heritage. Metropolitan Joanikije opened the event, which includes lectures, literary evenings, exhibitions, concerts, and children’s programs over a two-week period.

According to the metropolitan, the festival was founded 13 years ago with the blessing of the late Metropolitan Amfilohije. It seeks to preserve the beauty of the Serbian language and Cyrillic as part of the region’s spiritual and cultural heritage. The program will conclude on August 28 at the Monastery of St. Sava.