On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, on September 27, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Ordination Convent in Suzdal. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church performed the great consecration of the restored Sretensky Temple and led the Divine Liturgy in it.
Three altars were consecrated: the central one in honor of the Presentation of the Lord, the right one in honor of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, and the left one in honor of the Great Martyr and healer Panteleimon. Before the service began, His Holiness venerated the relics of St. Euphrosyne of Suzdal.
His Holiness was co-served by Metropolitan Nikander of Vladimir and Suzdal, and the hierarchs and clergy of the Vladimir Metropolitan Area and Moscow who attended the celebrations. Abbess of the monastery Hegumenia Ekaterina (Ivanova) and her sisters, abbesses and nuns of other women's monasteries of the metropolis, representatives of Orthodox youth movements prayed in the temple. The service was attended by the Governor of the Vladimir Region, A.A. Avdeev, and representatives of regional and local authorities.
The hymns were performed by the combined choir of the Vladimir Metropolitanate and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra under the direction of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov). At the special litany, special petitions were offered, and His Holiness the Patriarch read a prayer for Holy Russia. The service was broadcast on large screens for the faithful on the territory of the monastery.
At the end of the Liturgy and the celebration of the feast, Metropolitan Nikander greeted the Primate and presented him with an icon of the Mother of God "Suzdalskaya", made by local craftsmen. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the audience with a Primatial address and donated the "Tabynskaya" icon of the Mother of God to the monastery, and the Holy Gospels to the churches of the Vladimir Metropolitan Area. During the presentation of church awards, Metropolitan Nikander was awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, III degree, in recognition of his archpastoral work and in connection with his 40th birthday.
At the end of his visit to the monastery, His Holiness consecrated the foundation stone of the Trinity Cathedral, which was destroyed in 1934.
The Monastery of the Ordination of the Sacrament, founded in 1207, is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia. Its history is closely connected with the name of St. Euphrosyne of Suzdal. The present Sretensky Church was built in 1878-1881. After the monastery was closed, it was used for household and public needs, and in the early 2000s it was seriously damaged by fire. Restoration work began in 2022. During this time, the structures were strengthened, the lost elements of the building were recreated and the interior decoration was carried out. The painting of the temple was completed on September 14, 2026.