Today the clergy, the sisters of the Diveyevo monastery and numerous guests congratulated Hegumenia Sergia, the abbess of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, with her birthday.

During the thanksgiving prayer service, praises to the Lord, along with the prayer service and akathist to the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, were sung beside his holy relics in the Trinity Cathedral for His great benevolence that sought His blessing to grant to Hegumenia Sergia health, salvation and worthy help in everything.

Matushka Sergia bore the heavy cross as hegumenia of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery for thirty-two years. Her labors as abbess were distinguished by a great number of ecclesiastical and state awards.

At the end of the late-morning Divine Liturgy, “Many Years!” were sung to Hegumenia Sergia. Rev.Fr. Vladimir Kargin, the senior priest of the monastery, presented matushka the abbess with the prosphora and a bouquet of flowers, congratulated with her birthday and thanked for the worthy spiritual example that the Hegumenia offers to the sisters.

We remember with gratitude Schemamonk Georgiy and Schemanun Ekaterina (Konkov) today, Hegumenia’s parents, who brought up their children in faith and piety. Litya service was served at their graves next to the Trinity Cathedral.