The Russian Orthodox Church has for the first time marked the feast day of the Assembly of the Venerable Fathers, the founders of Christian monasticism, and all saints who shone forth in Egypt. The new church-wide commemoration was established by a decision of the Holy Synod in autumn 2025 and is observed annually on February 1, the feast day of St. Macarius the Great. The celebrations also coincided with the anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch Kirill, according to patriarchia.ru.

On the occasion, Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The service was attended by numerous hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as representatives of the Coptic Church who arrived from Egypt. Metropolitan Konstantin of Cairo and North Africa, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, delivered a sermon, noting that Russian monasticism in many ways continues the spiritual tradition of the early Egyptian ascetics. In Cairo, the Divine Liturgy in honor of the Egyptian saints was celebrated by Bishop Evfimy of Lukhovitsy, vicar of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.

Egypt is regarded as the cradle of Christian monasticism. In the first centuries of Christianity, it was there that the earliest hermits and monastic communities emerged, exerting a decisive influence on the spiritual traditions of both the Eastern and Western Churches. The officially approved Assembly includes 208 saints—ascetics, martyrs, and venerable fathers—venerated by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Among the most prominent Egyptian saints is St. Macarius the Great, one of the founders of desert monasticism in the 4th century, a disciple of St. Anthony the Great, and a spiritual guide to thousands of monks. The monastery he founded in Egypt remains active to this day. Another widely revered saint is St. Mary of Egypt, a powerful symbol of repentance and spiritual transformation, whose memory is commemorated during Great Lent. Her life story—from a sinful existence to decades of ascetic struggle in the desert—holds a special place in Christian tradition.

In October 2025, the Holy Synod formally decreed that the feast of the Assembly of the Egyptian Saints be celebrated annually on February 1, underscoring the significance of Egypt’s spiritual heritage for Christian civilization as a whole and for the Russian Orthodox Church in particular. At that time, several additional saints were included in the Assembly, among them Hieromartyr Potapius, Bishop of Kiftis, his kinsman Andrew, and the martyrs who suffered with them in Esna around 312, as well as Great Martyr Damiana of Egypt and the forty-nine virgins martyred with her during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. According to her hagiography, Damiana, the daughter of a ruler, refused to worship idols or enter into marriage, choosing instead a life of virginity and martyrdom, becoming a lasting witness to steadfast faith and spiritual courage.