The history of the Ascension Cathedral goes back centuries. Once upon a time there were two wooden churches in this place, which more than once suffered in fires. In the end, only one church was restored and preserved, which today is the Ascension Cathedral of Tver. The final revival and consecration of the new church falls on 1805, although the finishing work was still ongoing at that time.
Ascension Church: Cathedral History
The first mention of the Ascension Cathedral is found in the annals of the late 14th century. In the first half of the 16th century, the stone church was completely demolished, and a new stone building was built in its place. In the late 18th - early 19th century, the cathedral, which once again suffered from a fire, was reconstructed. Finishing work was completely completed in 1817. In subsequent years, small rooms were attached to the main building of the temple, a bell tower was erected.
In the 30s of the 20th century, the Ascension Cathedral, like many church establishments, was partially looted and closed. Only in 1990 he was returned to the Orthodox Church. From that moment, the tradition of the procession of the cross on great church holidays was revived in the cathedral.
In 1904, the relics of the holy martyr Thaddeus were transferred to Tver.
Another attraction of the temple is the famous icon, on which the Virgin is depicted with a baby. Unfortunately, now there is only a copy of this icon - the original has been lost.
Ascension Cathedral of Tver today
From the depths of centuries, a wonderful tradition has come down to us - to make pilgrimage trips to holy places. Nowadays, many lay people go to famous temples to bow before the icon, drink holy water, take part in a festive service. Ascension Cathedral (Tver) - a popular place among pilgrims. Divine services and religious processions are held here annually in honor of various church holidays. Let's talk about some of them.
The Beheading of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John
This day is associated with events that occurred on the 32nd year of the birth of Christ. The ruler of Galilee imprisoned St. John the Baptist. John accused Herod of illegally cohabiting with his brother's wife Herodias. The Holy Baptist cruelly paid for it. Herod made a great feast for his nobles. The beautiful Salomia, the daughter of Herodias, danced on it for guests. The ruler of Galilee was so fascinated by the dance that he promised to fulfill any desire of Salomia. The mother of the beauty advised her to demand from Herod the head of John the Baptist. Her wish was granted. Now every year on September 10 and 11, the Ascension Church holds celebratory services. On the same day in the Russian Orthodox Church they pray for all people suffering from alcohol addiction.
Feast in honor of St. Thaddeus
On September 3, the Ascension Cathedral of Tver organizes festive services in honor of St. Thaddeus, whose relics are stored in this temple. There are many legends about this holy martyr. Thaddeus was one of the famous 70 apostles from the city of Edessa. In Jerusalem, he was baptized by John the Baptist and, inspired by Christ's preaching, became his disciple. After that, he went to Armenia, where he preached the teachings of Christ and converted all comers to his faith. Among the converts to the Orthodox faith was the daughter of the king and many of his subjects. Upon learning of this, the king became furious and ordered all the “traitors” to be imprisoned, and to kill the Apostle Thaddeus himself. For all residents of Tver, this day, September 3, is a memory day according to the holy Apostle Thaddeus, who proudly accepted martyrdom at the hands of the Gentiles, but did not betray his faith. This is an example of meekness, humility, love for one's neighbor.
Blessing, or Unction
The rite of blessing is not familiar to many. There is a misconception among the people that such a rite is performed only for hopelessly sick people. This is not entirely correct. In the process of the rite of Holiness, or Unification, there is a cleansing from sins that a person committed unknowingly. A person is remitted of those sins that he did not mention in his confession. Several priests take part in this rite, hence the name of the sacrament. There have been cases when people really unexpectedly healed after the Unction, but do not take this church ritual as a panacea for all serious and incurable diseases.
Ascension Cathedral (Tver) Unification conducts according to all church canons. This rite has been known since about the 4th century, but it was included in the number of seven church sacraments much later.
There are two options for holding the ceremony of Unification. The first option is directly above the bed of a sick, often dying person. The second option (as a rule, it is timed to coincide with some great church holiday) is in the church over many people who want, first of all, not to be healed of the disease, but to be cleansed of sins. It is believed that it is necessary to be unified once a year. Seven priests should participate in the rite, but in reality there are usually fewer of them. The Ascension Cathedral of Tver holds a mass rite of Unification annually during Lent.