On August 18, the burial service for Archbishop Zosima (Yeremeev), who had headed the Don and Caucasus diocese for 19 years, was held at Rogozhskoye. The liturgy in the Intercession Cathedral, which included the burial service, was led by Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov). Concelebrating with the Primate of the Church were Bishop Vikentiy (Novozhilov) of Yaroslavl and Kostroma and Bishop Yevmeniy (Mikheev) of Chisinau and all Moldavia.
“A great worker in the field of Christ, an expert in church rules and liturgical regulations, a justly strict archpastor, sincerely concerned about the salvation of his spiritual children, went to the Lord,” noted Metropolitan Korniliy. Condolences in connection with the death of Archbishop Zosima were expressed by His Eminence Archbishop of Belaya Krinitsa and Bucharest and of all Ancient Orthodox Christians, Metropolitan Leontiy (Izot):
“With sadness I have received the news of the death of His Grace Zosima, Archbishop of Don and Caucasus. I pray to the Ruler of life and death, Lord Jesus, that He, through the intercession of our Most Holy and Blessed Lady Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, may put to rest in the heavenly abodes His faithful servant, the newly deceased Archbishop Zosima, and create for him eternal and blessed memory.”
Archbishop Zosima reposed in the Lord on August 15 in the 77th year of his life. He was the last bishop ordained by Metropolitan Alimpiy (Gusev). Archbishop Zosima belonged to the brilliant group of clergy who had the opportunity to survive the persecution of the Church during the Soviet period, the trials of Perestroika, and enter the modern stage of the life of the Church of Christ. The body of the archpastor will be interred in the village of Kunicha (Moldova).
