Metropolitan Lazar held a farewell liturgy in the Simferopol Church of Alexander Nevsky

CrimeaPRESS reports:

On October 15, in the Simferopol Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Metropolitan Lazar led the farewell Sunday liturgy. Let us remind you, Bishop Lazar headed the Simferopol and Crimean diocese (later the Crimean Metropolis) from July 27, 1992. By the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was sent “to his retirement with an expression of gratitude for the archpastoral labors he had endured over the course of 43 years.”

His Eminence was co-served by the vicars of the Simferopol diocese — His Eminence Bishop Nestor of Yalta and His Eminence Bishop Kallinik of Bakhchisarai, Secretary of the Crimean Metropolis, rector of the Peter and Paul Cathedral of Simferopol, Archpriest Alexander Yakushechkin, as well as dean of church districts, acting. Rector of the Taurida Theological Seminary Archpriest Dimitry Gotskalyuk, monastery governors, members of the Diocesan Council, heads of specialized departments of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese. After the special litany, a prayer was offered for the restoration of peace. Teachers and students of the Taurida Theological Seminary, numerous parishioners and pilgrims prayed during the service.— reports press service of the Crimean Metropolis.

The Word of Metropolitan Lazar was read to those present to the pastors, monastics and all the faithful children of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese, in which the Bishop cordially thanked the vicar bishops, heads of diocesan departments, the clergy, monastics of male and female monasteries, the entire flock for their help and prayerful support.

I thank you all, my dear flock, for the prayerful support that I have always felt throughout my Archpastoral ministry. Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! At the same time, I want to note: life goes on! And may joint prayer continue to unite us, helping us to walk the path of salvation,” noted Metropolitan Lazar.

He thanked everyone for their warm, sincere words and gave the Archpastoral blessing.

Let us remind you that His Grace Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov was appointed head of the Crimean Metropolis. The Metropolitan also said goodbye to his flock today:

No matter how difficult it is to leave my beloved Pskov, my beloved Pechory, with which my whole life is connected, I am filled with the deepest gratitude to all of you — the priests, my closest assistants in my work for the diocese, the brethren of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery and other monasteries, to the rector and clergy of this temple, to the entire Pskov flock. Because in my soul, despite all the difficulties of the past, there is peace and harmony. And in this state it is very easy to go on a new path…

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