On the night of April 19-20, 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Theofan of Korea led the festive Easter service in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Seoul. Hierodeacon Nektarios (Lim) co-served with His Eminence.

The festive service was preceded by the celebration of the Midnight Office of Great Saturday, during which the Shroud, located in the middle of the church, was brought into the altar by the clergy and placed on the Holy Table, where it will remain until the end of the Easter holiday.

Immediately after the Midnight Office, the Easter Matins began, during which the Easter troparion “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life” was sung for the first time in 2025. After the singing of the Easter stichera, the Catechetical Homily of St. John Chrysostom was read. Then followed the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, accompanied by the singing of the Easter troparion throughout the service.

During the service, the Easter message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church was read.

After the prayer behind the ambo, the artos was consecrated, which will be in the churches of the Korean Diocese until it is broken up and distributed to the faithful on Bright Saturday.

At the end of the Liturgy, the Easter food was blessed.

The archpastor cordially congratulated everyone on the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, thanked everyone for their joint prayer and wished those gathered abundant mercies from the risen Christ the Life-Giver.

On this joyful night, solemn services on the occasion of the Easter feast were also held in other churches of the Korean diocese: in the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Busan – by Hieromonk Theofan (Pozhidaev), in the Church of All Saints in Incheon – by Hieromonk Paul (Choi). The Easter service was also held in the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Pyongyang. The service was celebrated by Priest Vladimir Zhang, co-served by Deacons Pavel Pak and Georgy Yun.

Press Service of the Korean Diocese