On the night of April 11-12, 2026, His Eminence Theofan, Archbishop of Korea, served the Easter service at the Resurrection Church in Seoul. Hierodeacon Nektarios (Lim) co-served with His Eminence.

The festive service was preceded by the Midnight Office of Holy Saturday, during which the clergy carried the Shroud, which had been in the center of the church, into the altar and placed it on the Holy Table, where it will remain until the leave-taking of Easter.

Immediately following the Midnight Office, Paschal Matins began, during which the Paschal 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. Following the singing of the Paschal stichera, the Catechetical Homily of St. John Chrysostom was read. This was followed by the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which was accompanied by the singing of the Paschal troparion throughout the service.

The Paschal hymns were sung in Church Slavonic, Korean, and English.

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

Following the prayer after the communion, the artos was consecrated; it will remain in the churches of the Korean Diocese until it is broken up and distributed to the faithful on Bright Saturday.

Following the Liturgy, the Paschal food was blessed.

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

On this joyful night, solemn Easter services were also celebrated in other churches of the Korean Diocese: at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Busan by Hieromonk Paul (Choi), and at the Church of All Saints in Incheon by Hieromonk Theofan (Pozhidaev).

Press Service of the Korean Diocese