Minsk, November 5, 2024
Photo: church.by
This year month marks the 
35th anniversary of Belarusian ExarchateToday, the Belarusian Church includes 15 dioceses, more than 1,700 parishes, 7 spiritual educational institutions, 36 monasteries, 15 brotherhoods, and 9 sisterhoods. There are about 1,900 active Orthodox churches, with about 150 more under construction.
“>35th anniversary of the formation of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The Exarchate was founded during the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held in Moscow under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Russia on October 9 to 11, 1989. Previously, there was only one diocese covering the whole country, with 369 active churches and one monastery. Today, the Belarusian Church includes 15 dioceses, more than 1,700 parishes, 7 spiritual educational institutions, 36 monasteries, 15 brotherhoods, and 9 sisterhoods. There are about 1,900 active Orthodox churches, with about 150 more under construction.
This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Metropolis of Minsk. Both anniversaries were festively celebrated at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk on Sunday, November 3, the feast of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Belarusian Land, reports the Belarusian Church.
The service was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Benjamin of Minsk with His Eminence Metropolitan Matthew of Pskov of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop Ambrose of Borisov of the Belarusian Church, and a host of clerics.
On the evening before, a reliquary with the relics of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk and St. Euphrosyne of Moscow were brought to the cathedral. The celebration marks the end of the 
Moscow: Meeting of the relics of two St. Euphrosynes (+VIDEO)A joyous occurred this weekend, as the relics of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk of Moscow were brought together with the relics of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk from Belarus at Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery.
“>joint pilgrimage of the relics of the two saints through more than 35 regions of Russia and Belarus.
At the end of the service, Met. Benjamin addressed the faithful, noting that the anniversaries are being celebrated in every church and monasteries throughout the Exarchate. And referring to the relics of the two St. Euphrosynes, the Belarusian primate noted that they were venerated by hundreds of thousands faithful.
Watch the Divine Liturgy:
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