Rostov Veliky, Yaroslavl Province, Russia, December 3, 2024
Photo: Fr. Joseph Gleason
A little north of Moscow, Russia’s Golden Ring just started offering something new: Sunday morning Church services in English, at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Varnitsky Monastery in Rostov Veliky.
Their first service in English was on Sunday, December 1, 2024, led by Fr. Joseph Gleason, an American immigrant who brought his wife and eight children to live in Russia nearly eight years ago. Several American families were in attendance, as well as some local Russians.
People attending Sunday morning services at the monastery have a choice of languages. Those attending the church of St. Sergius can hear services celebrated in Church Slavonic and Russian, while those attending the church of the Holy Trinity can hear services celebrated in English.
Photo: Fr. Joseph Gleason
The main church at the monastery is named in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who was born in Rostov over 700 years ago. It is a white church with red trim, with green and gold domes. The second church at the monastery is named in honor of the Holy Trinity. It is a red church with an attached bell tower. These two large churches were built side by side, with only about 100 feet between them.
Varnitsky Monastery was originally founded several centuries ago, but was almost completely destroyed in Soviet times. After the fall of communism in Russia, the monastery was carefully rebuilt to restore its former appearance. The monastery complex has multiple church buildings, monks’ quarters, and an internationally renowned Orthodox Christian boarding school for teenage boys.
Rostov Veliky, also known as Rostov the Great, is a town of approximately 30,000 people, located about 200 kilometers (110 miles) north of Moscow. Rostov has many historic churches, including five Orthodox monasteries. The town is over 1,100 years old, and was first mentioned in Russia’s ancient Tale of Bygone Years in the year 862.
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