Cleric of the Almaty Diocese Arrives in Egypt as Part of a Monastic Delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate

8 November 2025 by the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and at the invitation of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, a delegation of monastics of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived in Egypt. The purpose of the visit is a pilgrimage to the places connected with the origins and flourishing of Christian monasticism and acquaintance with the present-day life of Coptic monasteries.

The visit takes place within the framework of the ongoing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church and forms part of the program of reciprocal visits of Russian and Egyptian monastics carried out over the past ten years.

The delegation is headed by Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Central Asia, head of the Central Asian Metropolis and permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The delegation includes Bishop Sergy of Borisoglebsk and Buturlinovka, Bishop Joseph of Mozhaisk, abbot of the Vvedensky stauropegic men’s monastery Optina Pustyn, Abbess Juliana (Kaleda), deputy chair of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism and abbess of the Conception Monastery in Moscow, Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), secretary of the Department for External Church Relations for Inter-Christian Relations, Hieromonk Aristocly (Nikitin), commandant of the Patriarchal Residence in Chisty Pereulok, Hieromonk Isaac (Istyelyuev), cleric of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan, Hieromonk Kirill (Zhilinsky), monk of Optina Pustyn, Abbess Catherine (Malgina), abbess of the Holy Trinity – St Nicholas Monastery in Tashkent, Abbess Eugenia (Vorimbetova), abbess of the Pokrovsky Monastery in Dusabad, Archdeacon Nikanor (Buldakov), monk of Optina Pustyn, Nuns Maria (Parsyeva) and Sergia (Gorbunova), staff members of the Moscow Patriarchate, Nun Anastasia (Smolina), staff member of the Tashkent Diocesan Administration, and sisters of the Conception Monastery in Moscow.

The visit, which will continue until 15 November, includes visits to the monasteries of the Nitrian Desert, the Monastery of the Great Martyr St Demiana of Egypt, the lavras of St Anthony the Great and St Paul of Thebes in the Eastern Desert near the Red Sea, the holy sites of Christian Cairo, and a meeting with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church.

Immediately upon arrival, the delegation visited the Monastery of St Macarius the Great, where Metropolitan Vikenty celebrated the Sunday All-Night Vigil. The pilgrims from Russia venerated the holy relics of St Macarius the Great, St John the Short, relics of St John the Baptist and St Elisha the Prophet, and other monastic shrines, and held a fraternal conversation with the community.

On the morning of 9 November Metropolitan Vikenty celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Holy Martyrs at the Monastery of St Macarius the Great. Concelebrating with him were Bishop Sergy of Borisoglebsk and Buturlinovka, Bishop Joseph of Mozhaisk, and Priest Dmitry Gurov of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa. The singing was performed by the sisters of the Conception Monastery, and all pilgrims partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Source: Patriarchia.ru