On the 5th Week of Great Lent, March 29, 2026, St. Mary of Egypt, the interim administrator of the Slutsk Diocese, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church of St. Paisius of Svyatogorets in Slutsk. The service was held on the occasion of the memorial day of Saint Sophia, Princess of Slutsk, defender of Orthodoxy in the Belarusian lands, which the Church celebrates on April 1. This year marks the 440th anniversary of the saint's birth.
His Eminence was assisted by the deans of the Slutsk diocese, the clergy of the parish and invited clergymen.
The liturgical hymns were performed by the bishop's choir conducted by Vitaly Sobolevsky. The sermon before Communion was delivered by Protodeacon Pavel Bubnov.
At the end of the Liturgy, Archimandrite Sergius (Brich) thanked the Patriarchal Exarch for the visit and the joint service and presented him with a prosphora, a mitre and a bouquet of flowers.
Vladyka Benjamin addressed the audience with a speech. Metropolitan Veniamin then celebrated a requiem mass at the monument to the first Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeev).
The celebrations ended with the laying of flowers at the monument to St. Sophia, Princess of Slutsk, and at the memorial sign "Kaplitsa Peramogi".