On the eve of the 20^th anniversary of finding the relics of the Saints Eudoxia, Daria, Daria, and Maria, holy martyrs from Puza, a vigil service was served at the Dormition Church in the village of Suvorovo, Diveyevo District, Nizhny Novgorod Region. Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk presided at the festive service. Concelebrating the head of the Murmansk Metropolis was Bishop Elijah of Balakhna, the Vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese.

Hegumenia Sergiya with the sisters of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery and a great number of faithful and pilgrims from various regions of Russia prayed at the service.

At the end of the Vigil service, Metropolitan Mitrofan addressed the faithful. He noted that the day of the martyrs’ remembrance is an exceptional event not only in the history of the Nizhny Novgorod region but for the whole Church, and a very personal story for him as he participated at the uncovering of their holy remains. Together with the rector of the Dormition Church in Suvorovo, he was vouchsafed to wash, adorn, and dress the remains of the holy ascetics, the blessed elder Eudoxia and her loyal cell women Daria, Daria, and Maria.

“I remember how 20 years ago, three thousand kilometers away in a far-away coastal village at the White Sea, I was suddenly overcome with emotions and felt an urge to travel to the grave of Dunechka (endearing for Eudoxia. – tr.) whom I revered so much, – shared Vladyka Mitrofan. – The urge was unstoppable, so I left for Suvorovo totally unaware of the process of the uncovering of the relics that was going on at the time. Having arrived early in the morning, I noticed that the lights were on inside the church. The only person there was the church’s rector standing next to the uncovered relics placed in the wooden boxes. He had no idea what should be done next. The commission on the canonization headed by Hegumen Damascene (Orlov) has left already. Batiushka greatly rejoiced upon my arrival: ‘I have been waiting for you. You are God sent!” I was shocked that the relics were uncovered. We proceeded to perform our angel-like obedience. I remember that, when I was touching their holy remains, I could observe the evidence of their sufferings and vividly remembered the details of the story by Hegumen Damascene about their torments and mocking during three days, those completely innocent young women and a petite, infirm, and withered elder. Once you see it with your own eyes, and touch their wounds with your hands, you come to realization how our present comfortable and peaceful circumstances, the construction of new churches and the magnificent restoration of the old ones, – all of this has been prayed upon by the blood of these simple peasant women who held defense on this island of holiness in the ocean of godlessness, hatred, and filth. Lord willing, we will never encounter anything atrocious in our lives revealed to us through these wondrous relics. Their deed is also much obliging as we are to be worthy of their memory.”

On behalf of Metropolitan Georgiy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, Bishop Elijah thanked Vladyka Mitrofan for presiding at the service and added: “By God’s mercy, the elder Eudoxia and her novices called you in so that you could prepare their relics for veneration in our holy land of Nizhny Novgorod. For each and every one of us, the life account of these martyrs is an ultimate example of the service to God, the Church of Christ, and our Motherland for our edification to live long and peacefully as Christians.”