This Sunday, 27 April 2025, the 14th day of April in the Calendar of our holy Fathers, the 2nd week after Pascha, Thomas Sunday, Hegumen Amphilochius, Hieromonk Maxim and the Novice, Reader Nicholas, members of the monastic Community of the Holy Archangel Michael at Lissac, had the very great joy of welcoming His Grace Bishop Elisey of Reutov on a pastoral visit.
The Bishop, accompanied by Reader Ionut, arrived for the celebration of Vigil on the eve of that Sunday.
The Vigil was followed by a fraternal meal: a time of wonderful exchange on the monastic and pastoral realities lived by the monks of Lissac since their settlement in this little village in the Auvergne in 2019.
The next day, a pontifical Liturgy was celebrated for the first time in the Community’s church. Hegumen Amphilochius and Fr Éric, Rector of the Parish of Christ the Saviour and the Dormition of the Mother of God in Vichy, and Fr Jérémy, deacon of the same parish, concelebrated this Liturgy, unforgettable for its prayerful atmosphere and the joyful peace in which it unfolded. Hieromonk Maxim was at the choir, leading the celebration of the Holy Mysteries.
About forty faithful were present, including a small group of young people from Lyon, faithful of the parish of St John the Russian, entrusted to the direction of Archpriest Quentin de Castelbajac, with whom the monastic Community of Lissac has forged very deep spiritual ties.
In his homily, His Grace forcefully recalled that Thomas’s doubt in fact bore witness to the Apostle’s ardent longing and love for our divine Master, Christ, whose Resurrection illumines the hearts of all the children of the Church.
At the end of the Liturgy, a festive agape allowed everyone to be refreshed in the joy of Christ, in friendship and amid many Paschal greetings. This meal was an opportunity for the altar servers and our young visiting friends to speak with Vladyka Elisey on many spiritual subjects.
This beautiful ecclesial occasion ended at around 3:30 p.m., when, after warm farewells, the Bishop departed.
We shall keep engraved in our hearts and memories this blessed time of encounter in the Light of the risen Christ.
We are deeply grateful to His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna for having paternally blessed this visit, which the Community of monks and the faithful experienced as a great ecclesial breath of fresh air.
We thank from the bottom of our hearts His Grace Bishop Elisey of Reutov for his coming, for his spirit of evangelical love and simplicity, and for his joy in Christ, which deeply touched and edified both the monks and the faithful present.
Orthodox Brotherhood of the Holy Archangel Michael