Donbass: community of a destroyed church celebrates its patronal feast

Kirovskoye, the Donetsk region – 3/1/2015

Photos by Anatoly Smirnov

On January 2, 2015, the patronal feast was celebrated by the community of the destroyed Church of St. John of Kronstadt in Kirovskoye – a town on which shells had been fired every day until the last truce was concluded, reports the Horlivka and Sloviansk Diocese’s press service.

For the service the parishioners gathered on the ground floor (first story) of the Sunday school’s unfinished building that is currently used as a church. The festal prayer service and the Divine Liturgy were celebrated by head of the Shakhtersk Deanery Archpriest Alexei Suyetin, Rector of the parish Archpriest George Tsyganov, and the deanery’s clergy.

At the Liturgy Archpriest Alexei Suyetin delivered a sermon. He reminded those gathered of the life of St. John of Kronstadt and noted that it was time for all of us to imitate him, in becoming stronger in love and faith, in building our lives around the Church of Christ.

The congregation was not able to arrange a procession of the cross on that day as the building is situated on a construction site. But there was a traditional holiday meal. By the way, in spite of the present financial difficulties the parish every day gives food to all the needy residents of the town which is in the line of fire.

Although the new church building already has an altar, an iconostasis and church vessels, donated by parishes of the Horlivka and Donetsk Dioceses, the repair work here has not yet been completed. It is planned that the Sunday school will be located on the upper floor of the building.

All those willing to help the community put their church into complete repair, can refer to the parish’s account information on the Russian version of this news article.

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