On 19 August 2026, the day of the great feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna presided at the Divine Liturgy at St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris.
The service took place in an atmosphere of deep spiritual fervour, broadcast live so that all the faithful of the Archdiocese could unite in the prayer of their pastor.
The Metropolitan recalled that divine grace permeates the whole of Creation. According to the Russian liturgical tradition, the celebration concluded with the blessing of grapes and of the fruits of the season.
Then Vladyka John wished the faithful that the Lord keep them in His peace, that the light of the Transfiguration shine in the heart of each of them, and that they be truly friends of Christ. He added that in this way, through the community that we form, we may be witnesses of this invisible and visible love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.