Our Church performs the Great Blessing of Water in remembrance of the Savior Who sanctified water with His Baptism. On the Theophany Eve, water is consecrated in the churches; on the feast day, the natural water sources such as rivers, springs and wells are sanctified (the so-called “journey to the Jordan”) because Christ was baptized outside the church.

On the Eve of Theophany, the consecration of water is carried out in memory of the Baptism of the Lord that sanctified the nature of water, as well as in memory of the baptism of the catechumens on this day in the ancient times. On the day of the feast, the Blessing of water refers to the actual Baptism of the Savior.

During the night of Theophany, following the Divine Liturgy at the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, the procession with the cross went to the Spring of Venerable Alexandra of Diveyevo. Rev. Fr. Alexiy Kurnosov of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery performed the Great Blessing of Water there.

The Spring of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov near Tsyganovka Village and the Kazan source were sanctified at 2 pm on the day of the feast.

The Great Blessing of Water is a unique service. It includes the readings of prophecies about future Baptism (Paremias), the description of the event (readings from the Epistles and the Gospels) and its significance (ektenia and prayers), as we call on God’s blessing of water by the immersion of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord three times.

The Cross is placed on the decorated table set with a bowl of water and three candles.

After the service, everyone was able to collect the blessed water in the containers for home use or take a dip in the springs. The sisters and the faithful among the locals and pilgrims come to take a dip throughout the days of the feast.