House of Diligence in the name of the Holy and Righteous John of Kronstadt

"House of Diligence" in the name of the Holy and Righteous John of Kronstadt

The history of the House of Diligence began in 1997, just then was registered the religious community of St. John parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. In a small private house owned by Hieromonk Alexey (Pergamentsev) began worship in a specially furnished home church.

And, as it happened long ago in Holy Russia, orphaned and geed up began knocking on the doors of the Temple. Dozens of people have asked to feed and shelter them for Christ's sake. We gave every possible help, tried not to deny anyone, but doing this was not easy, sometimes we lacked the basic necessities.

And then came in handy a spiritual experience of St. John of Kronstadt: "In the name of Christianity, in the name philanthropy, humanity I cry out to help these homeless poor people, and support them both morally and materially, it is necessary to do for them a general premise and to give everyone work according to his powers, in order he could feed or dress."

A hundred years have passed, and how modern are the words of the Holy, poor people did not become less, and almsgiving does not solve the problem of beggary, sops only demean destitute people and often lead to the development of the parasitism and prosperity of vice.
Therefore, Father Alexey with the first novices and laborers began to flatten the mountain, lay the foundations for the iconic and carpentry workshops and coenobitic housing. So on the basis of the monastery began to be implemented charity project "House of Diligence."

Gradually the parish began to gather, good job of helping neighbors united people of different incomes and different social status. Entire families came to help the construction: some brought food; some donated building materials, and some brought clothes and utensils. Many came after the main work help the construction in the Glory of God. Realization of such a large-scale project is impossible without help and care of donors.

We do not have any source of permanent financing, and do not have a general sponsor, our monastery is built all together, so hundreds of people have the opportunity to save, helping those in need.

Soon the home church could no longer accommodate all who wished to attend Worship and the decision ​​to build a temple in the name of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco was made.

People who wanted to live a spiritual life, away from the busy world began coming to church even more often. The St. John Male Monastery started to expand; The Sisterhood was created at first hand, and then came time for the Women's monastic order in the name of the Holy and Righteous John of Kronstadt.

It all happened on the word of the All-Russian father, Holy and Righteous John "Do not be afraid, gentlemen, of the enormity of the undertaken case, God helps the good deeds - and where God is, there soon everything will appear as if from nowhere."

Despite the dire economic conditions and the outbreak of the crisis, with God's help and persistent patronage of the Holy heavenly protectors we managed to build a five-stored monastery manufacturing building and a broad church of St. John on a place of one-story house over several years.

In 2002, one of our parishioners donated the monastery with a small house in the village Malaya Soltanovka in the Kiev region, and from this moment the construction of the monastery of St. John (go to the page about the monastery of St. John), and Zechariah and Elisabeth Skeet (go to the page about Zechariah and Elizabeth Skeet) was started.

During the implementation of the social rehabilitation project on the basis of the monastery, hundreds of people in need of social rehabilitation passed through the "House of Diligence" (for details go to the page about implementation of the social rehabilitation the "House of Diligence").

Their future life formed differently: someone stayed at the monastery, became a monk and now strives for masteries in the St. Zachariah and Elisabeth Skeet, someone managed with God's help to get rid of bad habits (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc. .) and returned to the mundane family life, someone found a deal on the soul and still works in the monastery (for details go to page Interviews of laborers).

But the main thing is to restore the image of God in every soul, and even if a person starts to wander again, indulge in vices, then usually the spiritual light, that warmed him in a monastery, brings him back to the monastery.
And what could be more precious to God than at least single soul of a repentant sinner.