Madona, Latvia, March 6, 2024
Photo: pareizticiba.lv An Orthodox church in eastern Latvia aims to repair and beautify the graves of the parents of the great Riga archpastor and New Martyr St. John of Riga (†1934).
The Church of the Holy Trinity in Madona “appeals to all residents and entrepreneurs to help raise funds for the manufacture and installation of an eight-pointed tombstone cross and new tombstones” for Andrei (d. 1921) and Evdokia (d. 1914) Pommer, reports the Latvian Orthodox Church.
The saint’s parents are buried in the Liseskalna cemetery, next to the church.
“It’s the duty of our grateful memory to honorably perpetuate the memory of these faithful, pious people who gave birth to a true defender of the faith and defender of the land of Latvia—the Hieromartyr John Pommer.”
St. John was brutally tortured and finally shot and set on fire while still alive on the night of October 12, 1934. No one knows who exactly killed the beloved Archbishop. The Riga cathedral was not big enough to hold all the people who came to the saint’s funeral, and many lined the streets along which his holy remains were to be carried. The Church celebrated the 20th anniversary of the uncovering of his relics last year.
“Paying tribute to the memory of Andrei and Evdokia Pommer, we pay tribute to the memory of their son, the Holy Hieromartyr John, Archbishop of Riga and Latvia,” the Church writes.
Donations can be made by bank transfer using the following details:
Madonas (Lazdonas) Svētās Trijādības pareizticīgo draudze
Madona, Rūpniecības iela 75
Reģ. Nr. 90000465226
AS Swedbank
Konta Nr. LV10HABA0551056439093
Maksājuma mērķis: ziedojums kapu labiekārtošanai
Read more about St. John in the article, “I Will Be Even More Frightening for You Dead Than Alive!”
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