Meudon, France, May 20, 2025
Photo: egliseorthodoxerussemeudon.wordpress.com
A Russian Orthodox church in the suburbs of Paris recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
The Divine services for the centenary of the Resurrection of Christ Church in Meudon, France, were led by His Grace Bishop Irenei of Great Britain and Western Europe and his Eminence Archbishop Michael, the retired former ruling hierarch. They were joined by rector Archpriest Michael Goudkoff and other clergy from the Russian jurisdictions in Western Europe, the diocese reports.
As the church is dedicated to the Resurrection, the Paschal Hours were read before the start of the Divine Liturgy.
Following the consecration of the Holy Gifts, the parish’s Subdeacon Michael Artzemovitch was ordained to the diaconate.
Photo: orthodox-europe.org
At the end of the Liturgy, Bp. Irenei addressed the congregation with a homily on the spiritual significance of the centenary:
Our ancestors are crying out to us: Will you, like us, lift up the Cross and bring true life to a dying world? Will you be missionaries of the True Gospel in this world of falsehood? Will you do more than simply remember us: will you honor our work and our faith by manifesting the same in your lives?
As we celebrate the legacy of our forebears, brethren, let us commit ourselves to truly following their example. Let the second century of this parish’s life be one of ascetical growth, missionary zeal, and the tireless proclamation of the Gospel of salvation, so that one day all of Meudon, and Paris, and France and Europe may learn how to rejoice and cry out with us: “Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!”
Following the Liturgy, the celebration continued with a festal banquet. A commemorative book of the parish’s history was given out as a gift to attendees. There were also several musical and cultural performances.
Photo: orthodox-europe.org
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The idea of building a church to meet the spiritual needs of the significant number of Russian emigrants who lived in Meudon at that time was formed in 1924. And on March 25, 1925, Fr. Alexander Kalashnikov, the rector of the house chapel of the Trubetskoy princes in Clamart, celebrated the first Liturgy.
Metropolitan Evlogy of Paris gave his blessing for the creation of the parish and appointed Fr. Boris Molchanov as rector. The church was dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. On Palm Sunday 1927, Fr. Boris celebrated the first Liturgy.
Photo: orthodox-europe.org
The Moscow Patriarchate demanded that the emigrant clergy recognize the Soviet government, which Fr. Boris Molchanov and most parishioners refused to do. The parish thus separated from Met. Evlogy and joined the Russian Church Abroad, of which it is still a part today.
On Thomas Sunday in 1929, the church was consecrated by Archbishop Seraphim (Lukianov) of Western Europe.
The church served as the diocesan cathedral for a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including under St. John (Maximovitch) during his time as the ruling hierarch of Western Europe.
In the late 1970s, it was decided to build a new church to replace the dilapidated original church. On September 19, 1982, it was consecrated by Archbishop Anthony of Geneva.
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