The head of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese led the Divine Liturgy at the Panteleimon Church of the Prioksky Deanery.

      Text by Svetlana Medvedeva. On August 9, the day of the memory of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, a feast was held in the church in honor of this saint, located in the Prioksky district of Nizhny Novgorod. The Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas. His Eminence was assisted by the dean of the Prioksky district of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese and the rector of this church, priest Oleg Karsakov, the head of the diocesan department for interaction with the penal system, priest Alexiy Kalugin, the head of the administrative secretariat of the diocese, priest Artema Muzhichenkov, and other clergy of the diocese. The liturgy was attended by the deputy head of the administration of the Prioksky district of Nizhny Novgorod, Pavel Belov, the prosecutor of Nizhny Novgorod, Igor Mokichev, the director of Nizhny Novgorod school No. 187, and the head of the city resource center for spiritual and moral education and civil education named after the holy equal-to-the-apostles Cyril and Methodius, Valery Malinin. The liturgical hymns were performed by a traveling archdiocesan choir under the direction of protodeacon Antoniy Molev. Volunteers from the Nizhny Novgorod diocese assisted in organizing the service. A special petition was raised for Holy Rus. After the liturgy, a procession was held around the church. Upon its completion, a glorification was made to the great martyr and healer Panteleimon. Then, priest Oleg Karsakov thanked the ruling archbishop for the conducted service and archpastoral care for the parish and presented him with a gift of a metropolitan klobuk. The head of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese congratulated everyone on the feast day and addressed those gathered with a pastoral word, reminding them of the life of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon.

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      Saint great martyr and healer Panteleimon, who lived in the 3rd-4th centuries in the city of Nicomedia (Asia Minor), was known for his prayerful intercession, healing the suffering. By the power of prayer, he provided healing to the hopelessly ill, and therefore, after his glorification among the saints for martyrdom in the name of the faith of Christ, Panteleimon came to be revered not only as a great martyr but also as a healer.

      In his youth, Panteleimon studied the art of medicine and became a good physician. Even before his baptism, he called upon the name of Jesus Christ and prayed to Him for the life of a child bitten by a snake. The prayer was heard, and the child came back to life. Panteleimon dedicated his entire life to the suffering, the sick, the disabled, and the poor.

      The Roman Emperor Maximian heard of the saint and wished to see him at his court. Jealous doctors reported to the emperor that the healer visited Christians in prison and treated them. Maximian summoned Panteleimon and asked him to refute the slander, but he confessed himself a Christian. After long tortures, he was beheaded.

      The relics of the holy healer are kept in the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. Many cases of healing have been reported from those who have venerated them. Particles of the relics of healer Panteleimon are found in many cities of Russia, including the Nizhny Novgorod diocese.

      In 2012, after a visit to Mount Athos by a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, a decision was made to build a church in Nizhny Novgorod in honor of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon. This church became part of the temple complex in the Shcherbinki-2 microdistrict (Priokskoye deanery). In addition to the Panteleimon Church, it includes a church in honor of the righteous John of Kronstadt and a church in honor of the new martyrs and confessors of Nizhny Novgorod.

      The construction of the Panteleimon Church began in 2013. On August 22, 2015, Metropolitan Georgy performed the rite of its Great Consecration. The church can accommodate 800 people. The height of the building is 28 meters, and the height of the bell tower is 34 meters. When quoting, a link (hyperlink) to the website of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolis is mandatory.