Memorial Day of Cyril of Alexandria and Cyril of Beloezersky (Cyril’s Day)

The Orthodox Church honors the Memorial Day of Cyril of Alexandria and Cyril of Beloezersk on June 22 The Holy Fathers were real personalities, the first of whom lived in Byzantium in the 4th century, and the second in the Principality of Moscow in the 14th century But, despite the millennium separating them, the saints are united by the highest spirituality and humble service to the Lord The noble origin of Cyril of Alexandria provided him with an excellent education His outstanding mind and love for the Holy Scriptures brought the saint to the Patriarchal throne of Alexandria For 32 years, the patriarch strengthened the faith of his flock, increasing Christian love in their hearts It fell to him to protect the purity of faith from the heretical teachings of Novatus and Nestorius Cyril of Alexandria was an outstanding educator of his time, leaving behind numerous theological works Kirill Beloezersky also came from a noble family Having lost his parents early, he was raised in the house of his uncle, where he was noticed by the Monk Stefan of Meshchersky The monk discerned the young man’s purpose and advised him to be sent to a monastery So Kirill first became a monk of the Moscow Simonov Monastery, and then its abbot But the saint felt that his destiny had not yet been fulfilled He fervently prayed to the image of the Mother of God, asking and waiting for instructions, until one day he heard the advice of the Mother of God to go to Beloozero Following the order, the abbot and the monk Ferapont who accompanied him went to the indicated place, where they began to live in dugouts, spending all their time in fasting and prayer Soon other monks joined them Through joint efforts, after 7 years, a temple was erected in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and a monastery was founded with a special, strict charter Before his death, the saint received from the Lord the gift of clairvoyance and was known as a miracle worker Kirill's Day has acquired many folk traditions, because it is not for nothing that it falls on the day of the summer solstice This is the period of the sunniest days and the shortest nights, when summer finally comes into its own It's time to make supplies for the winter, pick strawberries and other berries, and dry the grass for hay Church ministers advised parishioners to care not only about their daily bread, but also about spirituality, not forgetting to be merciful to those in need Interesting customs dedicated to St Kirill's Day have developed in the city of Velsk, Arkhangelsk Region, since 1999 Here, the patron saint and wonderworker Kirill Velsky enjoys special veneration In his memory, a whole week-long festival is organized annually with a traditional fair, festive concerts, folk art exhibitions and master classes