On Thursday evening, April 21, 2011, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Dean, together with parish clergy Priest Ioann Kechkin and Deacons Gleb Kraezhevskykh and Dmitry Asratyan celebrated the matins of Great and Holy Friday with the reading of the 12 Passion Gospels before the image of the Crucified Lord on Golgotha.
The next day, Great and Holy Friday, April 22, 2011, the Royal Hours were celebrated by visiting Priest Andrei Tregubov with the blessing of Archimandrite Zacchaeus. Later that day, Father Zacchaeus celebrated the Vespers with the bringing out of the Winding Shroud (Plaschanitsa) of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the evening of Great and Holy Friday, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Dean, together with parish clergy, Priest Ioann Kechkin and Deacons Gleb Kraezhevskykh and Dmitry Asratyan concelebrated the Matins of Great and Holy Saturday with the singing of the lamentations in both Church Slavonic and English. The English verses were sung according to the music arranged by the ever-memorable Archbishop Job (Osacky).
Following the singing of the Great Doxology, the Lord’s Winding Sheet (Plaschanitsa) was carried in procession around the temple with the singing of “Holy God…” in processional melody. Upon re-entering the temple, all passed under the shroud and venerated the Gospel held by the Dean.
Upon entering the temple and concluding the service, Father Zacchaeus preached a sermon on the Passion of Our Lord.
