North Port, Florida, October 4, 2022
Photo: eadiocese.org
At least two Orthodox churches were damaged by Hurricane Ian, the fierce storm that slammed Cuba and the southeast United States over the past two weeks.
According to reports from Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, churches in the city of North Port, Florida, were damaged when the hurricane hit Florida on September 28.
The entire area around the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Our Lady of Pochaev Church was flooded, and inside the water rose to a foot, damaging the floor, in particular the carpets and runners.
“All of the wooden contents of the church—the altar table, table of oblation, analogia, and stools ‒ were saturated with water. The vestments were also soaked,” reports the Eastern American Diocese.
Parishioners were able to move everything outside to dry.
The parish clergy, Archimandrite Stefan (Khilchuk) and Hieromonk Arkadii (Polishchuk), typically celebrate the full cycle of services every day, and they look forward to returning to this blessed practice.
Donations towards the restoration of the church can be sent via PayPal to: pochaevorthodox@gmail.com.
Photo: eadiocese.org
The Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava in the same city was also damaged.
In addition to the trees uprooted in the church yard, the roof of the church hall was damaged and some water got into the hall itself.
The church itself also suffered some damage from water that penetrated through the dome and poured down the pillars. The doors were also damaged, and part of the gutter.
Two days after the hurricane hit, parishioners gathered to help clean up the yard. Fr. Dragan Žarić from St. Petersburg, who used to serve as the North Port church, also came with his family to lend a hand.
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