DUBLIN'S FIRST RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CONSECRATED

A small piece of ecclesiastical history was made on Sunday 9 February 2003 when the first Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic was consecrated in Dublin. Known as St Peter & St Paul’s Church it is located in the former Church of Ireland Harold’s Cross Parish Church.

Bishop Theophan of Magadan presided at the four and a half hour service which was attended by hundreds of members of the Eastern European community in Ireland. Amongst clergy taking part in the very colourful ceremony were Fr Michael Gogoleff, Dean of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ireland, Fr George Zavershinsky, the new church’s priest, Fr Athanasius George, Coptic Orthodox Church, and Fr Iraneu Craciun from the Greek Orthodox Church.

During the consecration a new altar table was erected and blessed in the sanctuary and the holy relics of the Russian saints were laid under it. Then the bishop and the clergy processed around the church anointing the inside with the holy chrism and blessing it with blessed water. Following the consecration the Pontifical Liturgy was celebrated.

In an address translated by Fr Gogoleff, Bishop Theophan recalled the suffering of the Russian Orthodox Church in the last century. “Today by the grace of God the churches and schools which were destroyed are flourishing again. There are now 400 churches in Moscow, where before there were only four.”

He said the community was deeply grateful to the people of Ireland and to their brothers and sisters in the Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church for making them welcome. Reminding the congregation that they were “on the soil of Ireland which has welcomed you and given you work”, he advised them to work together to proclaim the Word of the Lord and to establish understanding and peace among people. He urged them also to be proud of their own spiritual tradition.

The attendance included Archbishop Neill; the Papal Nuncio, the Most Revd Guiseppe Lazarotto; the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Dermot Lacey; the Minister for European Affairs, Dick Roche; Deputy Michael Mulcahy and members of the Diplomatic Corps. Canon Neill McEndoo, Rector of Rathmines & Harold’s Cross, and some parishioners, who worshipped in the church until its closure in June 2001, were also present.

Prior to the consecration Archbishop Neill issued a statement warmly welcoming the consecration of the Russian Orthodox Church. He said, “We extend a warm welcome to them as indeed we do to the many other groups of Christians, both Eastern and Western, who have come to live in the dioceses. They will enrich us and we look forward to knowing them and sharing with them. How wonderful to see a church that we ourselves no longer use being used for the glory of God.”

[The website for the Russian Orthodox Church in Harold’s Cross is www.stpeterstpaul.net]

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With the compliments of the Diocesan Communications Officer 11/02/03

THE CHURCH OF IRELAND DIOCESES OF DUBLIN & GLENDALOUGH
DIOCESAN COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER VALERIE JONES
TEL: 01-4935 405 (H) 01-4946 202 FAX: 01-4944 720
E-mail:dco@dublin.anglican.org