Orthodox parish of dreams. Priests. How does a priest work?

Priest Andrey Pinchuk– an extraordinary personality, he is known far beyond the borders of his parish and his diocese.

He is the rector of the temple in the name of the Archangel Michael in the village. Voloskoye, Dnepropetrovsk region, father-educator orphanage family type (out of 12 children, nine are adopted), chairman of the supervisory board of the All-Ukrainian Charitable Foundation “We Help”, head of the department for family affairs of the Dnepropetrovsk diocese - and this is not the end of the list of his church and public initiatives.

Among other things, Father Andrei surprises with his extraordinary view of the arrangement of parish life, in particular in rural areas. Thus, at a recent conference of youth priests held Synodal Department Ukrainian Orthodox Church Youth Affairs, he voiced a number of ideas that are working successfully in his community. Among them, for example, there is no fee for baptism, and a baptismal set for a child as a gift - it is donated to the parish by a woman who has committed the sin of abortion...

In the context of the constantly confusing topic of “golden domes”, “Mercedes” and poor old women, on whose donations the clergy “bathes in luxury”, Father Andrei expressed in an interview with Pravmir his views on how a modern Orthodox parish could exist and develop community.

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It is wrong for a priest to handle finances

– As you know, in a rural parish, mostly grandmothers, our eternal myrrh-bearing wives, go to church. And in city parishes it is women who do a lot of things. In this regard, there are often accusations that the Church robs old women and lives on the last pennies that they bring to the temple. Can you tell me what the real financial role of grandmothers is in church life, and where in the village can a priest get money to conduct parish activities?

– From the experience that I see, those parishes are strong in which absolute power is not limited to the priest, where there is an active church council. Only there, it is from donations, as you say, that very decent sums are collected from grandmothers. At the same time, the church council itself decides what to do: paint the roof, open a Sunday school, or buy the priest a car.

In other words, money appears where people take responsibility for the temple. For them to have this desire, there must be such an opportunity and appropriate tools. Because in any case, the priest needs to delegate some powers - managing the parish, distributing money - to those people nominated by the community. This is the most correct system.

At all church charter It is forbidden for a priest to manage finances. The chairman of the church meeting bears responsibility for the material side of the life of the parish. But often in many churches this position is combined with the position of rector, which from a spiritual point of view is not entirely true.

We see the example of the apostles who fundamentally distanced themselves from issues related to money. They were engaged in prayer and the ministry of the word, and transferred finances and other equipment to the deacons.

In our case, this is the church council, the chairman of the church meeting, the deputy chairman of the church meeting - he is also the elder. They can also be parishioners whom the people nominate to oversee certain areas of parish life.

In fact, the parish can live on donations from grandmothers, this may be enough. Because people don’t come to the temple as spectators or just buy, light a candle and leave. They understand that they need to participate in the life of their temple, and everyone tries to donate some worthy amount.

In other words, the Old Testament principle of tithing is at work. By the way, in the Old Testament it was 10% of what was earned, in the New Testament we read from the apostles about 100%. But the point is not in numbers, but in people not only making donations, but also taking responsibility for the parish, for the community.

To have something, you must first learn to give.

– You spoke about how it should be ideally. How are things really going?

– In reality, in most parishes the priest is the absolute and sole distributor of finances. The key word is “sole”.

But it's not right. Because very often, due to his upbringing, education, his family model and ideas about life, a priest can pay attention, including financial attention, to issues that are not thought about by the majority of parishioners. He may, for example, not support the development of Sunday school...

The parish is small, but it is the Body of Christ. And any investment, something that is perceived as an “expenses part” of the parish budget - be it Sunday school, work with young people, helping the elderly, some kind of charity or even gifts for birthdays - is not just spending, but a manifestation of love for our parishioners Unfortunately, many people lack this understanding.

In order for the parish to have something—not for the priest to drive a jeep, but for the community to have a sufficient amount of resources for construction, educational, missionary, youth, and children’s work—it is necessary to first learn to give. That's how main principle. Christ said: it is more blessed to give than to receive.

When a parish community, led by its rector, switches the switch in their minds from “let’s donate to us, and we know how to spend everything” to “let’s take part in a good deed together and distribute, even if it’s a small amount of money,” people are very inspired.

The example of a shepherd’s selflessness is inspiring when a parish – even a small, rural, poor one – provides help to those in need. This also opens the hearts of the people around us, who are not yet church members, to whom the Lord gives the thought to also participate in a good deed: come and donate there and there, because there is a need, and God’s work is being done.

Then sponsors appear, and everything in the parish begins to grow and bloom.

People first. Then - stones

– You are the rector of a community in a rural parish. Can you briefly and schematically describe the algorithm of actions: a young priest finds himself in a rural parish where there is no church, he needs to start everything from scratch, gather a community. Where will he get the money for all this before he can organize the parishioners?

– The first thing is to pray. The second is to approach difficulties and difficult situations responsibly, sincerely and without despondency and try to do everything in your power.

And third, under no circumstances should you start with construction work. Some basic little repairs - yes, but the main thing is to immediately start working with people: Sunday school, meetings with adults, work with youth - whatever. When a goal is set: I will build a temple, I will spend 10 years, then it may turn out that after these 10 years, when everything is settled, the temple will be empty.

Therefore, first of all, people. And only then - stones. When a priest begins not with stones, but directly with work with the Body of Christ - with people, then, as a rule, the parishioners themselves actively become involved in the construction work.

In other words, this is a matter of wise distribution of church investments.

For example, we collected 50 thousand from the parish. With this money you can make repairs in some room that was given to the temple. It will take 5 years, but the temple will be empty, because no one was attached to it - the priest himself repaired it, and this did not particularly touch anyone.

It’s another matter if out of these 50 thousand, 30, or better yet 40, will be invested in classes, in paying quality Sunday school teachers, in organizing work with the disabled, and in helping those in need. If the temple, for example, is in a war zone, there may be free food for the wounded...

And people will respond. Yes, the priest will work alone in this field for a year or two. But in the third year, the fourth or even the fifth, a lot of people will come who want to help. And they will bring donations with them, and will find those who will donate more. And they will collect not 50 thousand, but much more. And the temple will already be full and will be built or repaired much faster.

About the main quality of a priest

– How widespread, in your opinion, is the phenomenon of priests’ dependence on rich people and sponsors?

– It’s difficult to say how common it is. Of course, this happens - when a shepherd begins to curry favor with wealthy people. It must be said that this behavior of the priest immediately affects the life of the parish: the rich love him, but for some reason he ceases to enjoy basic respect and trust from ordinary parishioners. A certain abyss appears.

It is necessary to understand that such behavior is weakness. In a priest, as in a monk, one of the main qualities is disinterestedness. Yes, you need to support your family and feed yourself, but a calm attitude towards money is very important.

Where the priest fails to cope with such temptation, trouble begins. The temple becomes the source of supporting his family and providing for his whims, the priest completely refuses to finance any parish work and, finally, becomes very authoritarian, because he has to protect this entire precarious financial system.

– What should people do who strive for the Church with all their souls, have just begun to join the Church and have already seen somewhere positive examples of well-organized parish life, and their local priest, in the church nearby, is like you described?

“The priest is also not his own boss.” Above him there is a dean, a bishop. There are means, levers of influence on the pastor and from the community - this could be simply a “heart-to-heart conversation”, it could be attracting the help of a dean or a bishop.

But, as a rule, no one does this. Usually people leave the temple and go where their heart warms. Even if they live in a village, they go to another place. And that temple is empty.

Well, or the worst option is that people leave the Church because it may be an overwhelming temptation for them.

– How can a person fight this temptation?

- In any case, you can’t demonize. Even if a priest has a weakness for money, there is still something good in him. And there will always be people for whom this side may not be so important, but some other qualities of the shepherd play a role.

Remember the classic of the genre - the story of St. Philaret (Drozdov)? He sent a drunken priest into the ban, and the dead began to appear to him at night, begging: “Get him out of the ban, get him out, get him out...”

And the saint was already so tired, he couldn’t sleep, poor thing, that he called that priest. He came again with a fume. The saint asks: “What is your feat?!” - “Lord, what feat? Full of sins! I drink, you drunk!” - “Tell me, how do you pray?” “When a person is left without a burial, when I find someone like him (now they would call him a homeless person), I pray for him and perform a funeral service. For free". And the bishop brought the priest out of the ban, because with all his weakness he accomplished such a feat that no one else had done.

So, probably, every shepherd, like every person, has his own weakness, his own, in the words of the Apostle Paul, “thorn in the flesh.”

It's another matter if people want find an excuse for yourself not to go to church. In this case, they will be tempted even where there is no reason for temptation. As the psalmist says: “Fearing fear where there was no fear.” That is, the question is also in the person’s mood.

“Why does the priest have to walk?”

– How could you explain the phenomenon when a person donates little to a church, but seeing that the priest drives an expensive car, he is tempted and sincerely believes that it is with his donations that the priest is making such purchases?

– My opinion may be somewhat unconventional, but if the church council or those people who deal with finances in the parish reported to the church community once a quarter or once every six months for every penny spent, then so many questions would disappear!

And there are such temples. In fact, this is an amazing practice! It is announced in front of the entire community: “This much was spent on the priest’s salary, this much was spent on the deacon’s salary, this much was spent on electricity. And so on. 15 thousand left. Let's decide what we will do. - Let's put it off. - No, let's do this...

Then such questions do not arise - if people know that the distribution of finances in their parish is fair. Then they discuss all the issues among themselves. “Klava, why did you allocate 15 thousand to the priest to buy a car? - What, should he walk? He has a bad leg... So we decided to give him money for a car.”

When a priest allows parishioners to deal with all these issues, they feel great gratitude to him - for the fact that the priest gives them the opportunity to show responsibility, love and care for the House of God.

And this responsibility and gratitude is monetized. People just open their hearts. Previously, someone could donate 20 hryvnia a month, but now he will donate 100, because he wants to support his parish, because he sees where this money is going. Sorry for bringing everything down to budget. Of course, this is not why we serve, but I’m just trying to follow the theme you set.

– What to do in the situation with city parishes, where there is a large flow of people?

– All the same, city parishes are located in some microdistricts. There are those who go to church constantly; these can be 20-40 of the most active people. Others who do not attend services as often will still receive information from them and relay it further.

– What could you advise a person who wants to go to church, but is really embarrassed by the expensive cars that the clergy drive?

- Well, this confuses me too...

What do you recommend? Find a priest who drives a modest car. And don’t make mountains out of molehills.

Life dictates change

– Many people believe that church construction is being carried out with the money of businessmen who acquired wealth through unrighteous means, and now “buy” their salvation in eternity by donating to churches. Have you ever encountered such businessmen and can you say that people help the Church sincerely?

– Personally, I haven’t had to, but I know such cases.

And yes, such a phenomenon exists. But this applies not only to our Church, but also to religious institutions around the world. A person who has acquired wealth by unjust means wants to somehow “legalize” it for his conscience. He provides significant assistance to any religious organization in order to be prayed for there.

Here the attitude of the Church is ambiguous. There is a rather strict rigoristic position: no, we will accept only pennies, only small donations, but from a huge number of people, this is important for us, so as not to give a person who has donated a lot a reason for pride, so that he does not end up in the church or thoughts of humiliating others.

There is another position, it is more widespread, but, in my opinion, not entirely correct: money has no smell, we don’t care who donates and how.

There is a third position - the middle between these two extremes. In the Gospel we see a prudent thief and other examples of repentance. And if a person is “ripe” to make a donation, to participate in the life of the Church, he needs to be given this opportunity.

The only place where there should be an absolute “stop” is in five points: if the priest knows for sure that the money was made from blood, the sale of weapons or war, the sale of drugs, from participation in the modern slave trade, from robbery or banditry, and if this political party money. In my opinion, these are the five main taboos.

– And in conclusion, how much do you think the church’s attitude towards money will change? We have experienced a stage of active revival of ancient temples and rapid construction of new ones. In what direction do you think parish life will develop next?

– Life itself dictates the need for a different attitude towards money on the part of church communities. In the end, we will come to the understanding that finances should not be managed by a priest, but by specially chosen people; that reporting should have been more or less public, accessible to regular parishioners and major patrons of the arts. That the parish needs to be more active in doing good - so that there is no feeling that money is donated and disappears “to nowhere,” but it can be seen how it goes to help those in need and social projects.

Life itself dictates, and changes will occur. Otherwise, young people and the middle generation will not come to churches. People's needs change.

The conversation was moderated by Yulia Kominko

Photo from the archive of the family of priest Andrei Pinchuk

It is no secret that the priests and deacons of the Russian Orthodox Church are divided into two categories, while some are luxurious, purchasing expensive products in elite stores, exchanging foreign cars like gloves, others are trying to buy a cow with their last pennies in order to somehow feed their family. Although, according to ex-clergy, “everything is stolen”...

“God will send,” they say in the Church. And it’s true that God sends sorrows and illnesses to some, and to others money, foreign cars and comfortable life, as they say: “serve your service and sleep well.” We will not talk about bishops, these are the so-called “top managers” of the Russian Orthodox Church and, managing the regions, they do not live poorly. As proof - the motorcades of the patriarch and the foreign cars of the metropolitans.

This article will focus on simple and not so Ural priests. Let’s say right away that they themselves value their cross and do not want to be banned from serving (translated into worldly language as dismissal), so they flatly refuse to talk to journalists’ questions about money and salaries. But there are clergy “under ban”, fired, they have nothing to hide and they openly tell the truth, but the Russian Orthodox Church does not comment on this truth and tries to avoid any mention of income at all.

“Give me a penny and I’ll pray”

“I apologize that I have to get to know you through a request. It’s very awkward and inconvenient, but I just don’t know where or who else to turn to. There are seven of us in our family, me, my wife, four children and my wife’s mother, who is my dependent. I would not write this letter if I had the opportunity to earn extra money, but in the village there is no work, and as a clergyman I simply have no other income. We have urgent repairs in the house related to heating, winter is ahead and the house requires insulation from the outside. We took out a loan to build an extension to our house due to the birth of children. This is a big expense for us, and we need to pay for repairs and materials. The extension was built, but there are a lot of unfinished parts in it,” -

Later, realizing that the media had created a stir around his problems, he retracted his words. He really faces no help from the Kurgan diocese, but most likely the local bishop will find a reason to ban him from serving. Using his example, one can only discuss how priests live in villages.

Village priests are simple and live simpler lives. Photo: V-kurse.ru

All clergy have large families, the Church prohibits them from using contraceptives, and you can’t earn much in the village with income (requirements: baptism, funeral services, prayer services). Moreover, the diocesan administration takes the lion's share of the income into its treasury.

“You won’t give money, you will run a black cash register, buy candles and goods only from the diocese, this is the law. Moreover, for example, for private owners the price of one candle is much lower than 70 kopecks, but they are sold in the church for 70 rubles. We are forbidden, if someone is found to be purchasing goods bypassing the diocese, then you can safely go out into the street, taking off your pectoral cross,” said one priest, asking not to even use his first and last name.

By church parish and expense

As for small towns, for example, Kamyshlov, Sverdlovsk region. The priests there live relatively well. At least they have real estate, equipment and no sponsors.

“Our priests live well, here is the rector of the church under construction on Konstantinovka, Father Oleg, who is finishing his house, and he seems to have six children, all well-fed and well dressed, he has a car. The rector of the Intercession Cathedral, Father Pavel Kulbitsky, also has his own apartment, and a lot of people go to the Intercession Cathedral. Things are, of course, worse for Father Igor in the village of Obukhovskoe. My family and I rent a house, but he seems to have an apartment in Yekaterinburg, which he rents out, and they live with this money in Obukhovsky. The temple is being restored, but due to lack of money it is not happening quickly,” say the Orthodox Kamyshlovites.

Intercession Cathedral in Kamyshlov

City "hieromagnates"

Of course, lucky are those who serve and work in big cities, for example, in Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil. There are more believers here, they are richer, and the prices for baptisms, weddings, funeral services and the blessing of cars (by the way, in some cases depends on the price of the car) are much higher.

Archimandrite Hermogenes, rector of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Yekaterinburg. Far from being a poor priest, even though he is a monk

“About how the priests I know live in Yekaterinburg and the region. They live, it must be said, differently. The average salary of a priest in Yekaterinburg ranges from 20 to 35 thousand rubles (depending on the parish). However, a priest’s income is not limited to his salary. In addition to the salary, the priest performs services (blessing of apartments, cars, crosses, funeral services, etc.), which can bring up to 50-75% of the salary per month. The priest also has the opportunity to take the “memorial service” home, those alms of food (cereals, butter, canned food) that are brought to the temple to commemorate the dead. That is, if a priest has a salary of 35, then with his requirements he gets 50-60 thousand on average. In principle, it’s very good for the city,” says a former seminarian and opposition member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Victor Norkin.

According to him, the difference between urban and rural clergy is colossal.

“The situation in the village is different. There, the average salary in parishes ranges from 8 to 15 thousand rubles. Requirements are limited compared to the city. In the summer, income from services increases due to regular baptisms, but mainly village parishes survive by holding funeral services for local residents. Unfortunately, everything is in order with mortality in Russia. Well, of course, the abbots of the churches stand apart. They have no salary cap; all finances of the temple (after paying taxes to the bishop) remain with the rector. Therefore, a number of abbots in Yekaterinburg have several apartments in new buildings, high-quality European or Japanese cars, the ability to buy any products without considering economic crisis. Quite a prosperous life. There is a huge economic gap between an ordinary priest and the rector of a good parish. Ordinary priests bear the entire burden of work in the church - from conducting services, conversations, to performing funeral services and other requirements. The task of the rector is to skillfully maneuver and look for approaches to the bishop, paying taxes to the diocese on time and not leaving his pocket empty,” Norkin emphasized.

The ex-clergyman, who at one time was banned because he married a second time, also agrees with him.

“I have my own experience, in 1996 I became the head of the audit group, an auditor of the diocese, I traveled almost the entire diocese, caught swindlers in robes and saw who plows and who steals. Of course, everyone drags, but there is no need to fight. And it’s a pity for this father, most likely he will be banned and left without everything, at best for him to come. Blacks never understood the problems of whites; I labored at one monastery. There was one plus all the meat from the funeral service was mine. Poverty is not a vice. I would not compare priests living in the village and the city, namely living ones. This is as incompatible as a milkmaid and a manager. The peculiarity of life in the village is, of course, working on your own land, which feeds you. A city dweller earns money to go to the store, and a village dweller earns by his own labor. There is, of course, a lot of drama in the story with the priest from the Kurgan diocese. But this publicity most likely harmed him. A ban on service and, as a consequence, termination of payment for his work. In simple terms, dismissal. The priest serves in the monastery, which means he cannot perform services without permission, all his income goes to the treasury of the monastery from which he receives wages. If he served in the parish, it would be easier for him; the parish will always provide food,” says the ex-clergyman.

He is also sure that everything depends on the priest; some live well in the village:

“I myself served both in the city and in the countryside. Family income consisted of money for caring for the spouse's children and donations for performing services (Communion, Confession, consecration of houses, apartments, cars). The difference in the income of a priest in a village or small town with the regional center is simply the number of these demands performed, well, in the capital they don’t always sacrifice potatoes, they can throw in a fiver. And the most important thing still depends on the priest. If he can communicate with people, lead his flock, love his work, then he will never be left without food, money and attention. If I were him, I would ask to come.”

Dear Metropolitan Kirill and his “bastards”

A separate expense item is the visit of the ruling bishop. He usually comes to serve the Liturgy on patronal feast, for example, on Intercession in the Church of the Intercession Mother of God, there are several of them in the Yekaterinburg diocese, one of them is in Kamyshlov. And if the arrival of the metropolitan is a holiday for believers, then for the rector of the temple it is a headache.

“The average amount for a metropolitan’s visit today is approximately 70 thousand rubles. This includes payment for the choir (about 10), payment for the so-called “bastards” (as subdeacons and protodeacons are called in church jargon - about 20), about 30 for the metropolitan himself, and 10-15 for meals. This is data for one of the temples that was recently consecrated. As for the central churches, I’m afraid the amount will be higher,” says ex-seminarian Viktor Norkin.

Let us note that in the Yekaterinburg diocese, as mentioned above, they do not comment on income and expenses of any level..

Metropolitan Kirill’s meetings are far from being held in an ascetic atmosphere

"God will help"

Let us note that Patriarch Kirill, unlike the same Ekaterinburg diocese, today slightly lifted the veil of financial secrecy. Patriarch Kirill explained where funding for the implementation of church projects can and should be obtained from. According to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, financial difficulties The Lord God can decide for the church. This statement by the patriarch was made at the Church-wide Congress on Social Ministry. The search for premises for Orthodox kindergartens was discussed at the event.

“Sometimes the question arises: with what money? When we opened the first kindergartens in the Smolensk diocese in the difficult 90s, I never asked the question of how much money they would use. I was criticized all the time for this: why are you forcing us, but what about the money? I answered: The Lord will help. And this is not just a phrase to end the discussion, it really is - the Lord is coming to meet you halfway,” Rupolit news agency quoted Patriarch Kirill as saying.

By the way, journalists writing on the topic of the Russian Orthodox Church support the idea of ​​​​helping village priests.

“In Orthodoxy it is considered bad form when lay people try to advise something to a bishop or metropolitan. And I understand perfectly well with what a grin the bishops will read these lines. Nevertheless, I will say: it is better to cancel one or two festive dinners or send less money to the patriarchate, but find an opportunity to help priests in need. And this help should be regular. The division into rich and hopelessly poor clergy is the tragedy of the Church. I have no illusions: for many bishops, mercy is an unfamiliar and sometimes alien word, but it’s time to change. Priests must be protected! This is not only the task of the parishioners; the bishop can do a lot about this. Including helping with money, if necessary,” insists Sergei Chapnin, in 2009-1015. worked as executive editor of the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”

So some priests have to go on a diet so that their cassock can be fastened, while others have to milk a cow between prayers to feed their family. But everyone needs to pray, in case “God sends it.”

- a permanent and beloved author of the portal - cares for several villages and hamlets in Belarus. We asked the priest, a journalist by secular education, to talk about the everyday life, sorrows and joys of his priestly service in the Belarusian outback.

Say a word about the rural parish...

A rural parish is strikingly different from a city parish in its composition, everyday life and tasks. For a priest, life in such a parish is a kind of hermitage associated with hard work.

“I read it myself, I sing it myself, I serve the censer myself.”

In the village everyone knows where and how the village priest lives

A rural parish is a test of a pastor, a test of a Christian and a test of just a person. The city priest is visible to most of his parishioners only in the church. Few people know where he lives (except perhaps neighbors), and even more so How he lives. And if the shepherd lives on the other side of the city, then no one will know either his mother or his children. The family life of such a priest remains a matter personal and inviolable. The village priest does not have the luxury of an anonymous life. In the village everyone knows where he lives and how he lives. Everyone knows mother and all the children by sight and name. Everything that happens in the yard of a rural priest and what is heard from his house will grow like a snowball with fables and myths and will go for a walk from house to house. And these myths are as fantastic as the ancient Greek ones.

If the priest neglects to personal plot(like me, for example), then he will immediately be called lazy. If, on the contrary, he leans too much on peasant labor, he faces accusations of greed. And so it is in everything: no matter what the village priest does, malicious people see all his actions as if through a crooked mirror, a fragment of which got into Kai’s eye.

As a rule, such gossip does not come from the lips of parishioners, but from people of little faith and religious illiteracy. Where do all kinds of slander and blasphemy against the priesthood come from? I cannot say, of course, that the clergy, both urban and rural, are completely sinless - we are all human, everyone can stumble and fall. However, I want to testify that the real reasons for censure are a hundred times less than the false accusations leveled at the clergy. The reason for this is the only hatred of the enemy of the human race - the devil - towards Christ and the entire Christian race. The Holy Scripture also tells us about this: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Slander and blasphemy are an integral part of the persecution of any Christian, and even more so of a clergyman. Everyone who started going to church experienced the sidelong glances and ridicule of their neighbors, and sometimes even opposition from relatives. Sometimes, in this sense, human madness knows no bounds. For example, I know of a case where relatives deliberately drugged a man so that he would not go to church. So the demons will not stop until they destroy a person and turn him away from Christ. Why be surprised at the slander and curses sent after the disciples of Christ, and even more so at His servants and preachers! To shake the authority of a priest in a village, where the personality of the priest is one of the central semantic figures, is a paramount task for the demon. Well, vainness and blasphemy are small plagues that we receive in the fight against the prince of this world (cf. John 12:31).

While the temple is functioning in the village...

As soon as the temple is closed or destroyed, the village seems to disintegrate

The special concern of the village priest is temple building. Many churches destroyed during Soviet times have not yet been restored, and they will probably never be restored (like the temple in Zhukov Bork, which will be discussed below). If only because some of the villages in which they were built are empty. There is an interesting pattern here: while the temple is functioning in the village, it is as if the heart is beating and blood is flowing through the veins. As soon as the temple was closed or, even worse, destroyed, the village seemed to disintegrate. The temple is always the center of the most moral strata of society. In God is the spiritual nourishment of these people. As soon as they are separated from spiritual food, the village ceases to be a living organism and turns into a faceless “settlement”, where houses “seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). During my priesthood, I noticed that if a church in a village was destroyed and the place is not respected in any way, abandoned and neglected, the village itself becomes neglected. You can see with your own eyes how God punishes the entire settlement for the sin of several generations (some destroyed, others desecrated the ruins). People in such villages are somehow especially unresponsive to preaching. The heart stopped and the blood flow stopped...

When it comes to the destruction of temples, crime and punishment sometimes are separated from each other in time, and sometimes they are so closely intertwined that it becomes uneasy. “It’s scary to fall into the hands of the living God!” (Heb. 10:31).

Not so far from my parish there is the village of Timkovichi. There is a temple there in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The temple did not survive the Second world war. But the bell tower survived it.

They say that after the war, someone really didn’t like the fact that the bell tower with the cross proudly towered over the village. They decided to remove the cross. There was a guy who agreed to climb up and throw off the cross. The volunteer swung the cross for a long time and could not pull it out. Finally the iron gave way, and the delighted boy threw the cross further away. When he came down, it turned out that the cross had flown into the bushes, and the guy was sent to look for it. The young god-fighter went in search of the last temple shrine, and suddenly an explosion thundered in the bushes. It was an unexploded aerial bomb, which seemed to be waiting in the wings. They say that the guy's head rolled back to the bell tower that he had just desecrated. Now the temple in Timkovichi is being restored.

Main building

The village is empty without a church

Temple - main building among human buildings, and in the village you feel this especially acutely. Let there be a village council, a store, a post office, a school and other buildings, without which daily human life is unthinkable, but without a church the village is empty. Just like an apartment - even if you glue it all up vinyl wallpaper, cover it with Italian tiles and make it with mahogany furniture, the walls will still be bare if there are no icons anywhere, and without the “red corner” it will not be a house, but a barn.

In the city, the temple turns out to be blocked by high-rise buildings and shopping centers- this “prince of this world” is trying to belittle church architecture. And in the city, his deception is partly successful: behind all kinds of restaurants, cinemas, amusement parks and hypermarkets, the value of the church becomes ephemeral in the eyes of the city dweller. For everything to fall into place, we need a “roasted rooster” that will peck and drive the frivolous man in the street to Christ.

In the village, the temple rises above other creations of human hands, not only mystically, but also in reality. It happens that you are driving through some remote village, and then a temple, which is already 150-200 years old, suddenly amazes with its beauty and majesty. However, earlier, before accepting the priesthood, I was only amazed at the splendor of rural church buildings. Now, at such moments, I still prayerfully wish God’s help and support for the rector of such a temple.

The architecture of the 17th-18th centuries surprises, first of all, with its size. Often in a village there are not even a thousand inhabitants, but the church has a population of 500. You immediately think: why this gigantomania, if on Sunday even 50 people are not at the service and the church is empty? The simple fact is that 200 years ago in such a village, almost all the inhabitants were not nominal parishioners, but real ones, and a smaller temple simply would not have accommodated everyone who wanted to pray.

From prayer book to hammer

Now a large temple is a test of the priest’s strength. Where in rural conditions find human and financial resources to maintain (heat and repair) a huge building? If you have Sunday service There are only 20-30 grandmothers, this problem sounds much more acute than 200 years ago, when the entire village took part in the construction and repair of the church.

For example, about 30 kilometers from me, there is a church in honor of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The temple is ancient and huge. You look at it when you approach the village - well, there’s no place for such a church in big city. 11 meters under the dome! These are not toys for you. This is an almost four-story house - inside a church. And outside - more than 20 meters - this is already seven floors of the high-rise building we are used to. Just to paint such a temple requires a lot of money and effort. What can we say about major renovation building?! Father Gennady, the rector of the temple, proudly shows me a plastered and painted piece of the wall from the outside and says:

This is where the funds raised over the year were spent.

“Well, yes,” I think and immediately evaluate in my mind the amount of work remaining. - At best, 20% of the total amount of work has been done. This is for another five years, unless finances are miraculously found.”

However, he is not yet in the worst situation, because the Liturgy is celebrated in the church, which means that the community lives, that means a sermon sounds, the word about Christ is heard - and this already gives hope. Much the worse to the builder fathers who create from scratch: there is nowhere to serve, but it is necessary to build a temple. The parish is still dead, or, better to say, not born, but he is already entrusted with the work of an adult.

In this case, the priest does not think twice and takes up a shovel, a hammer, a drill himself - as long as things get moving. Of course, not all the work can be done yourself, but at least something!

But even here another temptation lurks: it happens that you work and work, and in the midst of work the following thought comes to mind: “Does God need this work?” In confusion, you freeze in one place, your hands with the tool drop weakly. I immediately remember schema-abbot Melchizedek, whom Father Tikhon (Shevkunov) (now Bishop Tikhon) talks about in the book “Unholy Saints”. Father Melchizedek was a skilled carpenter and from morning to night he made all kinds of icon cases, lecterns and other temple furniture. However, one day he fell dead. The Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him and said sadly: “You are a monk. We expected the main thing from you - repentance and prayer. And you only brought this…” and she pointed to the broken and mangled icon cases, icon frames, chairs, and lecterns lying in the dirt.

According to human understanding, it is easier to take a hammer. And spiritually speaking, you need to take up the prayer book

It immediately comes to mind that the Lord expects from every priest the work of a shepherd: prayer, sacred rites and sermons. But you have to spend hours and days doing the work of a builder, accountant, foreman, prosphora maker... Maybe you should just do your priestly work - prayer, and the Lord will arrange everything else himself? You answer this question differently every time. But there is not always enough strength to answer it. According to human understanding, it is easier to take a hammer. As for spiritual things, you need to take up the prayer book.

Reluctant Hermit

However, this temptation is not the strongest in the ministry of the rural clergy. The village priest is a hermit against his will, and everyone knows that one must grow into a hermit. The priest in the village is deprived of cathedral services, deprived of communication with his fellow priests. Often he is forced to serve not when he wants, but when possible (because the singers of the rural choir do not receive salaries, like the city ones, and in weekdays they may simply not exist), I am forced to confess not when my soul demands it, but when there is time to go to my confessor. Of course, you can confess to your nearest neighbor-priest, but these are not always interchangeable things.

Sometimes what’s missing is a friendly clap on the shoulder and the words: “Don’t worry, father, the Lord will arrange everything.”

The village priest relies mainly on his prayer. If he is depressed, he is consoled by spiritual books and the Lord. If he gets lazy, he must pull himself together. A living word of consolation and edification is a spiritual deficiency for the soul of a rural shepherd. And, believe me, sometimes a friendly clap on the shoulder and the words: “Don’t worry, father, the Lord will arrange everything” is so missing.

The village priest is truly an apostle of Christ. As it is written on the priest’s pectoral cross: “Be an image by faithful speech, by life, by love, by spirit, by faith, by purity” (Tim. 4:12). These words apply to every priest, but exemplary everyday It is the rural shepherd who is obliged to show “life” to his sheep, for he lives, as it were, on the top of a mountain, visible from everywhere (cf. Matt. 5:14).

Often a village priest is accused of lack of education, ignorance of etiquette, and covetousness, but few city priests would agree to change places with a rural priest. I think that alone says a lot. Therefore, dear ones, let us pray that the Lord will help everyone to humbly carry their cross for the glory of God.

Four stops

Divine Providence has placed me, an ordinary rural priest, in such conditions that I take care of villages and villages located within a radius of 30 kilometers. I drive these kilometers through different villages and roads, and I encounter absolutely different people. Today I would like to remember some of them. Who knows, maybe a God-loving reader will find something instructive and spiritually beneficial among my rural stories. So, let's go.

Novokolosovo

The village of Novokolosovo is the place of my first ministry. Once upon a time it was a secret part of the allied missile forces. However, the Union collapsed, some were declassified, and the military town is now slowly transforming into a civilian settlement.

Since the people here are mostly visiting military personnel from all over the Union, spiritually there are certain problems that do not exist in other parishes. For example, in ordinary villages almost everyone is related to each other, so there is no strong hostility or hatred towards each other. Again, in villages people are more open and straightforward, accustomed to rural work and land, and genetically more believer in God. When you communicate with nature all day long, your mind inevitably rises to the contemplation of its Creator.

Residents of Novokolosovo are not related to each other and do not work on the land. Maybe that's why they are not so open to each other and to God. 1-3% of residents go to church. And if someone in the family begins to have problems, even of an openly mystical nature, people prefer to endure it rather than simply ask a priest for advice. And to what extent their patience reaches is simply amazing. Here is one illustrative story.

The new residents began to notice strange things: there were footsteps in the apartment, the lights turned on by themselves in the middle of the night, doors opened

Even before my appointment in Novokolosovo, a misfortune happened in the village: a girl in one family drowned. After that, the family moved to another place, and their apartment was bought by a young family - only three people. Soon the new residents began to notice strange things: steps were heard in the apartment, the lights turned on by themselves in the middle of the night, doors opened. The husband and wife, of course, were scared, but they endured. Further more. Soon these sounds began to be supplemented by even stranger phenomena: a drowned girl began to come to the new residents of the apartment. For example, everyone goes to bed, suddenly in the middle of the night the lights come on and a girl appears...

Few people here could stand it, but the new residents continued to endure. Patience ran out one night when a “girl” appeared and brought other “children” with her. They forced the owner, numb with horror, to kneel down and bow to them...

The next morning, the new green residents with trembling hands ran to the parish elder. The priest blessed their apartment, they served a memorial service for the deceased - and it was all over.

This is far from an isolated case when a person prefers to almost go crazy with fear, but for some reason still does not go to church. And when you invite him to consecrate the house, he shies away from you like a leper. Unfortunately, this family did not learn anything special from this incident: they are still not in church, and they never made it to confession and communion. Therefore, as a consequence of ignoring the visitation of God, new severe sorrows again torment people.

As for the “girl,” it is obvious that she was not a drowned woman at all, but a demonic phenomenon with the goal of scaring people into madness, which is confirmed by the spirit’s demand to worship itself.

Kuchkuns

The village of Kuchkuny is located a little off the highway, but almost every time I go to Liturgy, I turn off the road and drive there. There I pick up Grandma Yana and move on with her.

Yana Adamovna is 84 years old. But it seems to me that she would have lived much shorter if she had not had the opportunity to go to church every Sunday. She is from that breed of righteous people, without whom not a single village can stand.

Yana was born on July 12 - in. Of course, she honors them as her patrons and every year she tries to take communion on this glorious holiday. One day such an instructive story happened to her.

In the summer of 2000, Yana’s grandchildren visited her. On July 12, she, as usual, went to the temple. Then the nearest temple was in the regional center - in the city of Stolbtsy. That's where she went. Everything was wonderful, as always: service, confession, communion. After the Liturgy she got home. Having had a little snack, I lay down to rest and fell asleep.

The Apostle Peter pointed his finger at Jana: “Sorrow!” That's when Yana woke up

And now Yana Adamovna sees, as if in a subtle dream, as if she is standing in the Stolbtsovsky St. Anne Church. The church is full of people, a service is underway. Suddenly the deacon's door on the left side of the iconostasis opens, and the apostles Peter and Paul in priestly vestments come out onto the solea. The apostles came out to the pulpit, and Peter asked loudly: “Who is Joanna here?” “I,” said Yana, timid. Peter waved his hand and pointed his finger at her and, as if announcing a verdict, loudly uttered only one word: “Sorrow And! Then Yana woke up.

In bewilderment and anguish, she began to turn over her sick relatives in her mind, looking for where misfortune might come from. Confused, she tried to do normal household chores when the time of grief came.

Yana’s grandchildren played in the yard all this time. Around noon, granddaughter Lena lay down to sunbathe and dozed off on the grass. She slept for a couple of hours in the hot July sun, and when she got up, she felt weak. Soon headaches and severe vomiting began, and after some time the girl stopped recognizing her family.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and without further ado the girl was admitted to intensive care with a simple diagnosis: sunstroke. By evening, she could no longer even remember her name. For ten days Lena balanced between life and death, and Yana Adamovna tearfully prayed to the Lord and the holy apostles for the healing of her granddaughter. Her prayers were answered: Lena recovered. Now she's already adult girl. True, she still can’t stay in the sun for long.

I know of several such stories of supernatural visitations in dreams, but it is necessary to strictly distinguish from such phenomena all kinds of empty dreams that haunt superstitious people.

Tulenka

This is a very tiny village. I would not have paid attention to it if not for one funny incident. Once, after the Epiphany of the Lord, when houses are blessed, in this village they served me in a cup instead of holy water... solvent! They got it mixed up, of course. But still: where should you store holy water to make such a mistake?

In general, when I go through funny incidents in the parish, the incident with my friend, Father Pavel, immediately comes to mind. His temple is located in a field, a little away from residential buildings. There you can freely meet both animals and large bird. One Sunday morning, one of those dark winter days when you just want to wrap yourself tightly in the blanket and stay in bed, the priest went to work. He, like any village priest, comes to the temple first - to prepare for the proskomedia.

Father Paul enters the church... and then a shadow on wings rises with a noise from the altar!

And just imagine: Father Paul calmly opens the door, enters the church, turns on the light... and then a shadow on wings rises noisily from the altar! Father Pavel, who had turned pale, froze and almost sat down.

Having come to his senses slightly, the priest discovered that the shadow had nothing to do with spiritual beings. Simply a huge bird, like a golden eagle or an eagle, apparently chasing prey the day before, did not calculate its flight path, broke through the glass in the window of the dome drum and flew into the temple. As soon as the light turned on, the alarmed bird began to frantically look for a way out of the trap. For some time, Father Pavel still chased her around the church, trying to drive her out. open door, But uninvited guest As a result, he flew into the same hole that he himself made. What doesn't happen!

Zhukov Borok

This village is located on the picturesque bank of the Neman River. The village is small - there are only 50 houses, but only a third are residential. Actually, it was never a big village, but it had considerable significance.

During the Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667, a battle took place here between the army of Samuil Kmitich and Moscow troops, which were defeated. After one of these wars, a mound grew here, under which, as they say, are the burial places of fallen soldiers on both sides.

Near this mound in the 18th century a church was built in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God. Perhaps one of the reasons for its construction was the purpose of commemorating the deceased soldiers buried nearby. They say that when restoration work In the 20th century, a miracle happened: one man fell from the dome of the church and, falling down, shouted: “Save me, Mother of God!” They say that he hovered in the air, managed to grab a beam and remained alive.

The church, like two others in nearby villages, was destroyed during the Khrushchev persecutions. Only the foundation remained, and through the efforts of the clergy a cross was built in place of the altar. This church will not be restored as the village is almost deserted. But by the Providence of God, in a neighboring village with the unusual name Atalez, a couple of kilometers from here, a temple is being built in honor of the Intercession Holy Mother of God- and this is a kind of sign of spiritual continuity.

Request to God-lovers

Dear brothers and sisters! With this article I wanted not only to show the severity of the ministry of a rural priest, but also to draw your attention to helping churches in villages. In city churches (thank God!), constant donations from well-wishers greatly contribute to construction. In many rural churches, the construction situation is catastrophic, and often villagers are forced to remain without Liturgy for months, because it is extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get to the nearest church several tens of kilometers away. (Public transport in many villages runs a couple of times a day, in some places it doesn’t run every day, and in some places it doesn’t run at all.) Therefore, if you have a choice: to help a church in a village or a city church near your home, help it who needs it more. And this is almost always a rural temple.

If among the readers there are lovers of Christ who are ready for a good deed right now, then I ask you to help one of the parishes, the care of which has been entrusted to me. Already the fifth the year goes by construction of a temple in honor of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the agricultural town of Atalez - the spiritual successor of the temple in the village of Zhukov Borok. The temple was designed to be small, taking into account the difficulty of maintaining a church in a rural area. During this time, the building was completed in rough form; all that remained was to complete the interior and exterior decoration of the premises, install the dome, and install communications. All this requires about 15 thousand dollars. I ask you to assist our small village (about 400 people) in the construction of the temple of God.

Possible assistance can be transferred to the parish accounts:

“Parish of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary ag. Atalez, Stolbtsy district, Molodechno diocese of the Belarusian Orthodox Church" (UNP 601066299)

in Belarusian rubles:

account number 3015062408943 in Central Budgetary Institution No. 624 of Branch No. 500 - Minsk Department of JSC "ASB Belarusbank", MFO 153001601, UNP 100603596.

in Russian rubles charity account:

3135062400498 in Central Budgetary Institution No. 624 of Branch No. 500 - Minsk Department of JSC "ASB Belarusbank", MFO 153001601, UNP 100603596.

in US dollars charity account:

3135062400502 in Central Budgetary Institution No. 624 of Branch No. 500 - Minsk Department of JSC "ASB Belarusbank", MFO 153001601, UNP 100603596.

If you have any questions, write to:

If a priest has come to you, then you can administer unction to everyone who wishes and is present, and special preparation for this is required. by and large not required. But there must be understanding and repentance of sins. But still, find out from a specific priest which unction you should tune in for, or immediately discuss all the details of your initial appeal.

If someone is sick, you should definitely offer to confess, receive communion and receive unction.

It often happens that a person cannot come to church on his own or has never gone to church at all, but, having fallen ill, he wants to confess, take communion, receive unction, and if he has not been baptized, also be baptized. Even if the patient himself has not thought about it, his close people should remind him of this. The sooner you begin these sacraments, the faster Divine Grace will begin to act on a person with all its beneficial consequences.

Before calling a priest, you need to correctly explain to the sick person the meaning of these sacraments and under no circumstances wait until the person is in a very serious condition

Many are afraid to invite a priest home, because the sick person may think that this is preparation for death... As they say, “iron logic”, let the person die like this, and then we will write queries on the Internet: “What to do if a person died without confession and communions." And in general, such thinking simply undermines any greater chance for a person to improve.

The practical meaning of unction

The meaning of confession (confession precedes repentance), communion and unction comes down to the forgiveness of sins and the effect of Divine Grace on a person - both healthy and sick people, therefore communion and unction have a beneficial effect on the condition of people: someone actively begins to recover, and someone suddenly goes to the Lord, bypassing many bodily sufferings that were prescribed for a person for his sins, but the Lord has mercy on the person.

And if a person is dying, does he need it?

Yes, firstly, there are also examples of healing, and secondly, if a person dies, then his soul will experience heavenly joy, and not hellish melancholy, because everyone will answer for every idle word he says if the sin is not forgiven, and the sacraments are precisely connected with the forgiveness of sins.

What to do if a person is no longer conscious?

The priest will decide whether to give communion to a person or not, but it is definitely necessary to administer unction

How to invite a priest?

Most the best option- personal communication, not by phone or online, but in person.

How to prepare a patient for the sacrament of unction?

It is very important that a person sincerely repent and understand his sins. Therefore, it is important to tell what sins there are, to simply acquaint a person with sins. There is a section on our website for this, special books. Without repentance you won’t have to wait for a miracle; believe me, this is very important.

How to prepare for the arrival of a priest?

Need to prepare empty table, chair and boiling water in the volume of a kettle, olive oil.

What would be nice?

If you read any prayers you can

The importance of participation in the sacrament of unction is very great

If you knew how important this is, you would carry your loved one to the temple in your arms! But not everyone understands this, and this, of course, is extremely sad!

Which priest is better to invite?

It is better than the one who knows the patient, if not, then anyone, because the celebrant of the Sacrament is still Christ. It is important that the priest tries to open the person to repentance, but here a lot is done based on the situation, so everything depends on the “X” factors.

What is the price? Or how much should I give the priest for confession, communion and unction?

The question is common, but not entirely correct. Everyone has their own capabilities, and they usually proceed from the possibilities during sanctification, avoiding extremes. Ask the priest who performed the unction. If he answers “how much will you give,” then you can ask for guidance, saying, “how much do they usually give?” and the priest can give you direction of thoughts.

The question is posed completely incorrectly - we will give as much as we don't mind, this formulation is incorrect. Another thing is that if there is no opportunity, it happens, and there are no questions at all, the priest will do everything that is required of him without any problems and will not take money. The priest visits the barracks and is very nice apartments, because people are people everywhere, and this is life.

It is good and right when people treat with respect, understanding that such a sacrifice is a sacrifice and it comes from the heart, and the Lord will reward everything a hundredfold.

Interesting remarks that few people talk about

The priest often confesses to people in hospitals in various states, and the Lord expects repentance and change from all of them. It is important here that the priest makes attempts to explain to the person the need for sincere repentance and the meaning of the sacraments. And if a person’s heart softens and he repents sincerely and in detail, then extraordinary Divine joy and resolution of the situation await him.

But if everything goes off formally or without proper repentance, then, as a rule, there will be some relief, but completely temporary - for a day, two, three, and so on.

I have seen many people who have been sick for years, many are in a 50/50 situation, for some the doctors have already told how much is left, and a painful death awaits them, but in reality everything happens in a special way, according to God’s will, you only need to allow God to come to you, and not move away from it.

So, you come to confess, take communion, but the person does not really repent, and does not understand his sins, in practice, it becomes easier for a couple of days, those who have not slept begin to sleep, those who suffer severe pain are consoled, those who are tired are relieved, some even begins to walk temporarily. But in fact, he will continue to suffer until he atones for his sins with bodily suffering and until a person develops humility. There are many such cases, and the priest actually sees it all: the attitude and everything else.

Behind last decade Three more churches opened their doors to parishioners. Will there be anyone to serve in them? Newspaper Rodnaya Niva, Lukh.

Some clergy have to conduct services in more than one church. For example, Father Evgeny (Galkin) conducts services in the Assumption Church in Lukha, in the Epiphany Church in Ryabov. In this regard, it seems that the shrines of our region need clergy.

We found out at the information center of the Kineshma diocese from Archpriest Andrei (Efanov) whether priests are willing to go to rural parishes.

In the 90s of the last century, on the wave of religious upsurge, there was no shortage of clergy. Everyone who decided to devote his life completely to God was ready to bear any hardships along the way. We served in unheated and, often, without windows and doors, churches in the most severe cold, hitchhiked to philanthropists in Moscow, lived in the most unfurnished premises. There was hope that these efforts would not be in vain - the people would join the church, and life would improve. As subsequent time showed, none of this happened. The temples remained empty, and they are filled only on rare revered holidays. The mass of the people remained far from the Church - we have to admit this sad fact.

There are many operating temples in the Lukhsky district. Unfortunately they are empty. And if there are no parishioners in the church, then how should the parish exist? It is necessary to restore the temple, heat it, and acquire the utensils necessary for worship. Firewood, candles, oil also cost money. But main article expenses of any rural parish - the maintenance of a priest. He needs housing, food, clothing: he buys a cassock and cassock for his own money. The family priest has to provide for his wife and children. Let's imagine all these expenses, and it turns out that not every parish can support a priest. But, ideally, both singers and clergy should receive some kind of penny - a worker deserves food.

In addition to diocesan obedience, I am entrusted with responsibility for the neighboring region: I am the dean of the Rodnikovsky district. More than once parishioners of one or another church have approached me with a request to send a clergyman. However, it turned out that the parish could not support a priest. It was necessary to attach the temple to a stronger parish and instruct the priest to combine service in several churches. Every time I tell believers: “If you want to have a permanent priest, try to bring your loved ones, relatives, and neighbors to God. There is a priest for a strong parish.”

It is understandable that believers would want to come to a restored, warm and cozy church and pray at a service conducted by an experienced spiritual priest. But for all this to happen, the activity of parishioners is required. If you want to pray in a beautiful temple, make every effort to restore it. If you want your priest to be able to fully devote his life to the parish, take care of its maintenance. The bishop will not send a priest to a parish that has no parishioners. Every priest in our time is worth his weight in gold.

Who makes the appointment and for how long? Are there any clergy who wish to come to the Lukhsky district for permanent place residence? If so, what is needed for this?

The appointment is made by Bishop Hilarion of Kineshma and Palekh. There is no deadline, just an appointment. I spoke above about the conditions under which priests can be found.

Is there information that the dean of the district has changed? Is this so, what is the reason? According to parishioners, they are not satisfied with the work of the Holy Trinity Church in Lukha. What is known about this? Residents of the village of Timiryazeva are also concerned about the work of the monastery.

In the Lukhsky district, the dean actually changed. This is due to the fact that the former asked to remain as rector in the city of Zavolzhsk. After all, it is impossible to carry out full-fledged ministry in parishes that are one hundred kilometers apart from each other. The new dean, priest Evgeny (Galkin), has long been known to Lukhovites as a zealous and experienced clergyman. Bishop Hilarion is doing everything necessary to ensure that the service in the Holy Trinity Church is performed in full. The current disruptions are temporary. However, even under the previous rector, services were performed irregularly; the reasons for this are stated above.

Daily services have finally begun to be held in the monastery, and spiritual life in the monastery is improving.

The Lukh land has long been famous for its Orthodox shrines. In some settlements of the region, “traces” of church architectural monuments of past centuries remained in a dilapidated state. They are witnesses of a time when Orthodox culture was one of the important aspects of the life of the people. But everything returns to normal. Recently, a lot of work has been carried out to restore Orthodox pearls. Three churches have opened their doors in our area over the past decade. Now, in order for regular services to take place and the sacraments to be performed, the parish must be strong. And this means there will be an “owner”.