[deermealec]

Anti-Nazi Martyr to be Canonised by ROCOR

The Glorification of the New Martyr Alexander (Schmorell) (16/9/1917- 13/7/1943)

The glorification is to take place on Saturday 4 February and Sunday 5 February 2012 on the feast of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Lands. This is the patronal feast of the Cathedral in Munich. Alexander (Schmorell) was martyred and will be glorified locally among the Holy New Martyrs.

Firmly confessing the Orthodox Faith, he resisted the atheistic Nazi regime and urged his close student friends to resist, founding the White Rose movement. The martyr Alexander was guillotined. It was God’s will that our church stands next to where his heroic act took place and his body was buried.

A memorial service (either full or short, depending on the weather) will take place on Saturday 4 February at the cemetery ‘Am Perlacher Forst’ and the last memorial service will take place in the Cathedral. The Vigil will start at 5.00 pm. During it the icon of the New Martyr will be brought out and the newly-compiled service will be sung (www.sobor.de)

On Sunday 5 February the Archbishop will be met at 9.30 am and the Divine Liturgy will start at 10.00. There will be a reception, by ticket only, at 1.00pm. Bishops are expected to come from Russia and the Ukraine and Archbishop of Kyrill of San Francisco will represent our Metropolitan Hilarion.

It gives us great joy to announce this canonisation of a new European local saint. We also know that this will be a great joy for Archbishop Mark, whose family suffered so much as a result of the persecution of the Nazi regime.

For information on the New Martyr Alexander, please see our 2004 article on the White Rose movement Towards a New, Spiritual Europe: http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oegermanwr.htm