The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

The Catechetical and Mystagogic Lectures by St. Cyril of Jerusalem are one of the most important sources of 4th c. Christian catechetical tradition. These instructions became widely known and were translated into several languages as early as the 5th century; the oldest Slavonic manuscript dates from the 10th or 11th century. The first Russian translation was made in the first third of the 19th century at Yaroslavl Theological Seminary, and was shortly followed by another which appeared in 1855, in the Works by the Holy Fathers in Russian Translation series, published by the Moscow Theological Academy. These translations were repeatedly reprinted in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This publication is a new Russian translation of the Procatechesis by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, and offers an further opportunity to bring this source into its own in the context of domestic catechesis and contemporary catechetical practice. The Procatechesis, or Prologue, was pronounced during the solemn recording of the names of the catechumens in the lists of the enlightened on the eve of Lent. Before the final stage of preparation for baptism, the catechumens were told what was ahead of them and what was needful for those who wished to truly undertake the catechetical process.