Two devastating earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria yesterday, killing and injuring thousands, and destroying hundreds of buildings, including a number of Orthodox churches.
Archimandrite Ioseb (Burjanadaze) was injured when he tried to put out a fire that broke out in the guest house at the famous Gelati Monastery on the night of January 16-17.
The Polish Orthodox Church was doubly honored at a two-part state ceremony on Friday, February 3, recognized for its humanitarian work and the importance of two medieval monasteries.
Addressing the administration and faithful of the church, His Holiness called on them to remain faithful amidst their troubles, and even to increase their faith.
His Holiness Porfirije, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, arrived in America for a pastoral visit on January 25.
Like the Lavra in Kiev, the Pochaev Lavra has remained in state hands as a holdover from the Soviet Union, with use of the ancient monastery being leased to the canonical Church for the past 30 years.
The need for such orphanages is very great, given the mortality rate from AIDS, which reaches 60% in some areas, and the severe poverty.
Dumenko’s statement is part of the heavy state and schismatic propaganda aimed at completely evicting the Orthodox Church from the Lavra in favor of the graceless schismatics.
At the same time, the Uniate Greek Catholic church also has its eyes on the Pochaev Lavra, which they once occupied for a time in the 18th-19th centuries.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the administration, staff, students, and parents of the school.
In his primatial address, Pat. John thanked God for the restoration of the church, allowing the locals to find fulfillment of their spiritual needs.
See images from our trip-hike to Mount Athos, to the holy monastery of Xenophontos and listen to the historical facts that Hieromonk Fr. Theonas was kind enough to present to us. We thank him very much for his patience and the time he devoted to us.
Ukrainian authorities continue their attacks on the brotherhood of the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra.
The liturgical life was revived in yet another Russian church, a century after it was abolished by the godless Soviet authorities.
Olga Rozhneva
It was a fateful moment. In the mirror I saw not the person I’d known all my life—it was another person standing there, whose reflection was looking at me as if from another world.
After my Baptism and Communion, everything around me suddenly changed in a strange way. Some miracles began to happen. It felt like I had fallen into some Christmas story, and I still keep this in my heart, as though it all happened just yesterday.
So, for the first time, I climbed the Holy (or Miteina) Mount, not yet knowing that I would spend my life on this mountain and take monastic vows there.
Dimitry Preobrazhensky
“The Island” is a photo album of Valaam Monastery, the nature of the Russian North, and man’s path to God.
St. Nikephoros was a 20th-century monk who lived in the leper colony of Chios. He was a disciple of St. Anthimos of Chios.
Novice Abigail Jepchirchir from Kenya was tonsured into the small schema, taking the name of Matrona in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow.
