The Church in the name of St. John of Shanghai
The Church in the name of St. John of Shanghai.
Memorial day for St. John is at June 19 / July 2, day of death;
September 29 /October 12 - finding of the relics.
The God does not need temples, His throne is
heaven and His base is land, but we need them.
Our sacrifices in the name of God
takes God himself.
(St. John of Shanghai)
The Church in the name of St. John of Shanghai is located in one the most beautiful areas of Kiev - Lukianivka in the Tsvetuschiy line, and this name is fully consistent with its appearance.
A five-stored monastery complex is as if hidden from the prying eyes behind the green crowns of old trees, and although it is located near a busy highway, next to a large supermarket, that rarely breaks the silence of the monastery.
The history of the construction of the temple began in April 1997, when the "Religious Community of St. John parish of the ROCOR" was registered.
Initially, Services were conducted in one of the rooms of a house owned by Hieromonk Alexey (Pergamentsev). Gradually Services began to gather people who want to live a spiritual life, away from the bustle of the world – in such a way were formed male common-life monastery and female monastic community, and also a secular parish.
Soon, a small home church could no longer accommodate all wishing to attend the services. In 2002 it was decided to begin construction of the Church in the name of St. John of Shanghai. Hieromonk Alexey with the first novices, monks and employees manually aligned the hill and dug a moat for the foundation of a new large temple.
At the same time began the construction of coenobitic building and monastery workshops: icon, carpentry and sewing.
From the early days in the monastery was provided help to those who are in particular need - the poor and disadvantaged. Moreover, this assistance was not only in material things - food, medicine, etc., but, above all, in the provision of a real chance to change their lives. So started to be realized charitable social rehabilitation project "House of Diligence", which later received its development in the village Small Soltanivka, in Zechariah and Elisabeth Hermitage.
The patron saint of the abode in the name of St. John of Shanghai has never left us without his help. Only this can explain that soon on the place of one-stored house was built five-stored monastery complex, and at the 2002 Easter Festival held the first Easter service.
In the Temple is collected a lot of relics: a piece of the Holy Sepulcher, the particles of the relics of St. John of Shanghai, St. John Chrysostom, Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky, St. martyr Great princess Elizabeth and blessed martyr Varvara, as well as almost all the famous Kiev-Pechersk saints.
But the most visible manifestation of the Divine mercy was the acquisition of crying piece of funerary cassock of St. John of Shanghai in November 2002.
Despite the small for the Church age (11 years), its history is rich with spiritual events: it was ordained to the priesthood Monk Tikhon, now Bishop Vasilkovsky, and have been several monastic vows.
In 2008, at the Cathedral of St. John were held the cathedral Services during the Pastoral meeting of ROCOR. During the archbishop visit to Kiev here served a senior by consecration of the ROCOR His Grace Vladimir Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. Also here were held almost all conciliar services during the Council of Bishops in 2010.
Today, by the works of the abbot, monastic brothers and sisters, the monks, parishioners and benefactors, Church in the name of St. John is the church and cultural center of spiritual and educational life, not only in Kyiv, but also beyond. The monastery often visited by pilgrims from other cities in Ukraine and abroad.
Despite the difficult economic situation during ten years continues beautification of the Temple by tireless work and prayers of the Bishop Alexey Saltanovsky and Little Russian Bishop Tikhon Vasilkovsky, with the participation of the parishioners and benefactors: is conducted paintings of walls, was installed a new iconostasis, was layed heating. All church icons are made in iconic and carpentry shops of the monastery, clerical vestments are sewn by hands of nuns and sisters.
Parish of the Temple in the name of St. John of Shanghai is constantly growing and now totals about 500 people. A distinctive feature of it may be considered that a significant part of the parishioners are people up to 40 years, worship services have always a lot of kids - for them is organized Sunday School, are held tea parties, where they can set the priests troubling questions about the spiritual life.
Under the heavenly patronage of St. John here found their home dozens of destitute people, they found not only shelter and food, but also the opportunity to work for the glory of God.
Time has shown that St. John the Thaumaturge - is a very present help for all who are in trouble, sickness and sorrowful conditions.
The temple, built in the name of St. John of Shanghai, was the visible embodiment of the covenant of the Holy, referring to his flock, he said: "By building temples here on earth, we thus create the eternal home in the heavens. In decades to come, our bodies will decay; perhaps, nothing will be left from bones. And our souls will live forever. Blessed is that, who prepared for the soul an abode in the halls of Heaven!"
