St Basil the Great’s right hand brought to Alexandria Cathedral for patronal feast

The Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, Romania, celebrated its patronal feast on Sunday, honouring St Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople. To mark the occasion, the relic of St Basil the Great’s right hand was brought from Greece to bless the congregation.

Bishop Galaction of Alexandria and Teleorman celebrated the Divine Liturgy with Bishop Nectarie of Ireland and Iceland and Assistant Bishop Nicodemus of Skopelos of the Metropolis of Chalkida, Istiaia and the Northern Sporades of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

St Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople In his sermon during the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Nectarie highlighted St Alexander’s virtues.

“What defined St Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople, was his zeal, unwavering faith and precisely this capacity for self-sacrifice, for identifying himself with the High Priest par excellence, our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Bishop Nectarie recalled that St Alexander participated in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, where he opposed Arius’s teachings.

“St Alexander fought tirelessly against the Arian heresy of that period and laboured greatly, becoming a fervent defender of Orthodoxy.”

A moment of blessing…