“It’s just that there was a bad person in the church that day...”

The Gatchina and Luga diocese
is a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church within the administrative boundaries of the Volosovsky, Gatchina, Kingisepp, Lomonosovsky, Luga, Slantsevsky and Tosnensky districts and the Sosnovoborsky urban district of the Leningrad region. It is part of the St. Petersburg Metropolitanate.

Content

• 1. History
• 2 Bishops
• 3 Deanery districts of the diocese
• 4 Monasteries 4.1 Operating monasteries 4.1.1 Volosovsky district
• 4.1.2 Luga district
• 4.1.3 Tosnensky district
• 4.1.4 Slantsevsky district

Pilgrimage Service

The head of the Pilgrimage Service, Priest Fedorov Lavrentiev, is doing a lot of work in the Gatchina diocese to organize trips for pilgrims. Among the employees of the pilgrimage service there are rectors of temples and full-time leaders of groups of pilgrims.

Excursions and trips are organized in selected parishes of the Gatchina diocese upon preliminary applications, which should be sent to the address: city of Gatchina, Leningrad region, st. Krasnaya, house 1A. On Tuesdays the bishop receives at this address, on Wednesdays the office receives the reception, the reception time is 11.00-17.00.

Story

The Gatchina Vicariate of the St. Petersburg Diocese was established on October 6, 2008 by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church with the appointment of Bishop Ambrose (Ermakov) to it and the entrustment of the rectorship at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and Seminary[1].

On March 12, 2013, the independent Gatchina diocese was established, having been separated from the St. Petersburg diocese. At the same time, the Gatchina diocese was included in the newly established St. Petersburg Metropolis[2].

Bishop Mitrofan

Since 2013, Bishop Mitrofan has been the mentor of the Gatchina diocese.

Date of birth: November 19, 1972, Rostov-on-Don. The father of the future bishop was a priest. After graduating from school and a construction college, he decided to devote himself to God and entered the Theological Seminary in Minsk.

Bishop Mitrofan is the head of the Gatchina diocese

Bishop of Azov Sergius (Poletkin) ordained the 20-year-old graduate as a deacon on September 21, 1992, and 9 months later, on June 6, 1993, he was ordained a priest.

Archimandrite Modest (Potapov) took monastic vows on April 11, 1994, giving him the name Mitrofan.

Being a housekeeper and cellarer at the Don Starocherkassk Monastery, Father Mitrofan graduated from the Theological Seminary in Moscow in 1995, and since the fall of 1997 he has been the acting abbot of the Cheremets Monastery, and on June 9, 1998 he was elevated to the rank of abbot.

After graduating from the Theological Academy in St. Petersburg in 2007, 2 years later he was appointed chairman of the restoration department in the diocese of St. Petersburg.

On March 23, 2013, the rector of the Cheremenets Monastery, Bishop Mitrofan (Osyak), was appointed ruling bishop of the Gatchina diocese.

After his elevation to the rank of archimandrite on March 15, on March 23, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, in the presence of the metropolitan, archbishops and bishops, performed the ordination of the bishop.

Deanery districts of the diocese

Accessed October 15, 2021[3]

Geography of deaneries

1. Volosovskoe:

• Volosovo village, Begunitsy village, Bolshaya Vruda village, Volgovo village, Volna village, Izvara village, Ilyeshi, Kalozhitsy village, Kikerino village, Kurkovitsy village, village. Redkino, Khotnezhi village, Shelkovo village, Yablunitsy village, Yastrebino village

• Gatchina city ():
• Gatchina,

• Vyritsa village, Aleksandrovka village, Belogorka village, Voyskovitsy village, Voskresenskoye-Suida, Vokhonovo village, Elizavetino village, Zhabino village, Kartashevskaya village, Kommunar, Maloe Verevo village, Nikolskoye, village Orlino, s. Rozhdestveno, Siversky village, Susanino village, Taitsy village, Chasha village

• Kingisepp, B. Kuzemkino village, Valgovitsy village, Ivangorod, Ivanovskoe village, village. Goat Mountain, village Boilers, Manuylovo village, Nedoblitsy village, Opolye, Ruchi village, Ust-Luga village

• Luga, village Gorodets, s. Klyukoshitsy, Krasnye Gory village, Mshinskaya village, Osmino village, village. Petrovskaya Gorka, Syabero village, Tolmachevo village, Torkovichi village, village. Toroshkovichi, Shchupogolovo village

• Slantsy, Bolshie Polya village, village. Zazhupanye, village Zaruchye, village. Lozhgolovo, Novoselye village, Sizhno village, Staropolye village

• Sosnovy Bor, village. Bolshaya Izhora, Gora-Valdai village, Kovashi village, Ropsha village

• Tosno, Krasny Bor village, Lyuban, Maryino village, Nikolskoye village, Novolisino village, Radofinnikovo village, Ryabovo village, Sablino village, Ushaki, Shapki village

Monasteries

Active monasteries

Volosovsky district

• Bogoroditsky Pyatogorsky Convent

Luga district

• Cheremenetsky St. John the Theologian Monastery

Tosnensky district

• Makarieva Pustyn (non-residential area on the Lezna River)

Slantsevsky district

• Porechsky Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent

Inactive monasteries

Gatchina district

• Zverinsky Trinity-Sergius Monastery (village of Zverino)
• Mariinsky Volkhonovsky Convent
• Pokrovsky-Nikolsky from the ancient settlement of the Khotchinsky Monastery (Gatchina)
• Spassky Chashchinsky Monastery (Chascha village)
• Kharlampiev Monastery

Kingisepp district

• Bogoroditskaya Eliseeva Hermitage on the Sisti River

Luga district

• Gremyachaya Pustyn (Gorodets village)
• Ilyinsky Cheremensky Monastery (Cheremna village)
• Nikolsky Monastery from Klinska Tesovska (outskirts of the village of Usadishte)
• Protection of the Virgin Mary in the village of Yashchere
• Spassky Syabersky Monastery (Syabero village)
• Assumption Tesovsky Convent (outskirts of the village of Berezhok)

Slantsevsky district

• Elias Monastery (Monastyryok village)
• Nikolsky Monastery (Savinovshchina village)
• St. Nicholas Polish Monastery (city of Slantsy)

Tosnensky district

• Nikolaevsky Korovieruchevsky Monastery (non-residential area on the Tigoda River)

Shrines, monasteries of the diocese

Pilgrims from all over the world, when visiting the Leningrad region, try to visit the monastery of St. John the Evangelist in Cherements. According to legend, the monastery was founded in the 15th century by Moscow Prince John the Great after the appearance of the holy image of the Evangelist and Apostle John to the peasant Mokiy, which is still kept in the monastery.

St. John the Theologian Monastery in Cheremenets, Leningrad Region

The Tosnensky district is famous for the Makaryevskaya Hermitage, a 16th-century monastery founded by the Monk Macarius the Roman. The prototype of the Greek Athos is known for missionary activity.

Volosovsky district, the village of Kurkovitsy, is famous for the Pyatigorsk Mother of God convent.

On the territory of the Gatchina diocese there are about twenty monasteries that are under restoration and are not yet active, but are of great interest to tourists and archaeologists.

Notes

1. JOURNALS of the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 6, 2008 / Official documents / Patriarchia.ru (unspecified)
   . Retrieved April 1, 2013. Archived April 8, 2013.
2. JOURNALS of the meeting of the Holy Synod of March 12, 2013 / Official documents / Patriarchia.ru (unspecified)
   . Retrieved April 1, 2013. Archived April 8, 2013.
3. Deanery. Official website of the Gatchina diocese

Patron Saints

The founder of the Makaryevskaya Hermitage, Macarius the Roman, is an example of obedience, patience, and love for the Lord and people. Possessing the gift of insight and healing, the saint still helps people today.

The incorrupt relics of the Venerable Martyr Tryphon Gorodetsky in the Luga Deanery attract pilgrims with miracles of healing and answers to prayer petitions.

The founder of the Gremyachaya Desert, Trifon Gorodetsky, who lived during the Livonian War, saved Russian soldiers at the cost of his life, for which he was cut into pieces. The Lord, in great mercy, united the collected parts of the saint’s body, so that only small scars remained. The fragrant body was placed in a shrine that bestows grace through prayers to the saint.

Pilgrims from Russia and all over the world try to visit St. Paul's Cathedral and pray at the shrine of the Holy Martyr Maria of Gatchina. As a very young girl, she fell ill at the end of the 19th century and eventually dried up completely.

Venerable Martyr Maria of Gatchina

Being paralyzed, so that she could only move her head, at the age of 48, in 1922, she took monastic vows with the name Maria, after which she constantly prayed for all those in need. Generously gifted by the Creator with the gifts of clairvoyance, healing and miracles, unable to withstand exile, she died there and was buried near the grave of Saint Xenia.

The village of Vyritsa, Leningrad region, became the final resting place of St. Seraphim Vyritsky, a saint and spiritual mentor who left priceless instructions for the world to strengthen the Orthodox faith. The Guardian Angel of the Gatchina Diocese continues to grant miracles of healing and guidance.

The Assumption Navra Ivangorod Church still preserves the memory of the Ivangorod presbyters, martyrs Alexander Volkov and Dmitry Chistoserdov, who were killed by the Bolsheviks. Their bodies were thrown into sewage, but after the Reds left Lithuania they were buried by the priest of the Ivangorod church and re-buried according to Christian custom.

Important! Christians must not forget the price paid for the right today to freely pray, attend worship services, and preach the Gospel.

Social activities

The young Gatchina diocese does not ignore any area of ​​the life of its parishioners. In addition to celebrating Liturgies and organizing church holidays with the involvement of a large number of people, the forces of the priesthood and church-going Christians organize:

• creative festivals, “Keep the Lord on the Harp” is one of them;
• family festival "Tradition".

The homeless, the poor, the disabled and people addicted to drugs and alcohol are not ignored by the deanery; people from the church charity department provide them with care.

“It’s just that there was a bad person in the church that day...”

The family of a one-year-old baby, together with his future godparents (fathers), came to the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Marienburg on August 10. The priest who met them, having found out that those who came had not prepared for the sacrament (they did not know simple prayers, had not received communion), nevertheless decided to baptize the child, having read the moral beforehand for warning.

“I always try to baptize like this...”

The incident that occurred during the baptism was recorded on video and quickly went viral. The video shows that the priest roughly plunges the child headlong into the water, trying to force him into the font, which is too small for such actions. The frightened mother tried to intervene, but the priest did not respond to her requests. According to the mother, as a result the child received abrasions and bruises.

As it turned out, the sacrament of baptism was performed by a priest of the Gatchina diocese, who was not formally related to the Marienburg Intercession Church. Hegumen Photius (Necheporenko) was invited here to temporarily replace the absent abbot, Father Anthony Antipov. And then what happened happened...

However, Father Photius himself believes that nothing special happened. “It’s not my fault,” he told a Fontanka correspondent. “It’s just my mother’s heightened emotions—she turned out to be an unchurched person and not ready for baptism.” According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, a baby is supposed to be immersed head-first three times, and that’s what I did. The baby did not swallow any water and did not hit the walls of the font. I have been serving for 26 years and always try to baptize like this...”

“God didn’t carry faith that way...”

It is not surprising that the scandal, which occurred in such an inappropriate place for it, caused a wide public outcry. Outraged Gatchina residents left hundreds of angry comments under the Marienburg video:

“...It wouldn’t hurt for this priest to undergo a psychiatric examination. A person in his right mind would not abuse a child like that! It’s very sad if he gets away with all this.”

“...Faith must be brought to people with love and patience. Otherwise, these are purely commercial relations that have nothing to do with the holy purpose of the Church. What are you needed for? To initiate people into the faith or for what purpose at all? You don’t love people, you condemn them... God didn’t convey faith that way.”

“...It was necessary, with love and patience, to advise the parents and relatives of the baby to learn “Our Father” and come back later. Offer to personally communicate on topics of faith. Conduct a preliminary announcement. And in general, do not charge a “dachshund” for the sacrament, but limit yourself to donating to the box. This is exactly what the Savior would have done.”

It is curious that some commentators came out in defense of the priest.

“...The video evokes sympathy for the priest. First of all, due to the fact that for the sake of the “parish economy” he has to baptize non-believers... The fact that people are not baptized can be seen from the mother’s behavior and also from the fact that she wrote a statement to the police, while Christians cannot be judged by church questions in a secular court... The fact that he baptizes a child by complete immersion is correct, because this is the only canonical way of performing the Sacrament in the Orthodox Church... It is a priest’s mistake to baptize a child of non-church parents.”

“...This is a normal rite of baptism - to lower the child completely into the water with his head for a second. The child has an innate reflex: he will not choke. If a person is a believer, then one must humble himself. And if a non-believer came to a “cool” ceremony (or out of superstition), then... perhaps I’ll remain silent.”

We, too, will probably remain silent about such comments, being convinced that any goal, especially a lofty one, does not justify the means. And every Christian believer knows that the sacrament of baptism is a very, very high goal. And all participants in this great event need to move towards this goal very responsibly.

“Everyone is baptizing, so I’ll go...”

Many commentators, while clearly condemning the priest’s behavior, nevertheless noted that parents in any situation should take a more responsible approach to baptism as one of the most important sacraments in Christian practice.

“...Many parents do not understand why they baptize their children: “so that they don’t get sick,” “everyone baptizes, so I’ll go.” With such thoughts, it is better not to start the sacrament at all. Of course, the priest’s behavior is immoral and will be punished..."

It seems to us that the incident that happened in Marienburg should be a good reason to try to understand what the sacrament of baptism is and why it is important to properly prepare for it.

Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church, in which the believer, by immersing the body three times in water with the invocation of the name of the Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies to a life of sin, and is reborn by the Holy Spirit to Eternal Life. Christians believe that baptism is necessary for a person to be saved. Baptism is a new birth for spiritual life in which a person can achieve the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is called a sacrament because through it, in a mysterious, incomprehensible way for us, the invisible saving power of God - grace - acts on the person being baptized.

As is believed in Orthodoxy, young children who do not have an independent, conscious faith are baptized not according to their own faith, but according to the faith of their parents and godparents who brought the child to baptism. From this point of view, the first and main requirement for godparents is their undoubted Orthodox faith. Godparents must be churchgoers, living a church life. After all, they will have to teach their godson or goddaughter the basics of the Orthodox faith and give spiritual instructions. If they themselves are ignorant in these matters, then what can they teach the child? Godparents are entrusted with the enormous responsibility of spiritual education of their godchildren, for they, together with their parents, are responsible for it before God.

There are no special rules for preparing recipients for baptism. At some churches, special conversations are held, the purpose of which is usually to explain to a person all the provisions of the Orthodox faith regarding baptism and succession. In particular, in the Intercession Cathedral in Gatchina, such conversations on the eve of the sacraments of baptism and wedding are considered mandatory. Both parents and future newlyweds can ask the priest any question regarding the Orthodox faith, the Bible and church sacraments. Then, perhaps, there will be much fewer cases of mutual misunderstanding in the Church...

"Prohibited from clergy"

The Gatchina diocese responded quite quickly to the scandal that happened in the Marienburg Church of the Intercession, issuing an official statement on the pages of its website on August 12. As the statement says, “in connection with the incident during the baptism of a baby that occurred on August 10, 2021 in the Marienburg Intercession Church in the city of Gatchina, by decree of His Eminence Bishop Mitrofan of Gatchina and Luga, Abbot Photius (Necheporenko) is prohibited from serving in the priesthood for a period of one year, without the right to wear cassock, cross and the presentation of the priestly blessing." As the message emphasizes, “the high rank of a clergyman obliges its holder to be the image of the Good Shepherd - our Lord Jesus Christ, and to perform all sacred rites reverently, with the fear of God and a sensitive attitude towards the children of the Mother Church.”

Bishop Mitrofan expressed sympathy for the parents and recipients of the baptized child and apologized for the behavior of the cleric of the Gatchina diocese, which caused temptation and condemnation among believers. “His Eminence Bishop hopes that this incident will not become an obstacle to the spiritual life of the child and his family,” reports the press service of the Gatchina diocese.

As for Abbot Photius, serious proceedings await him ahead with the involvement of the injured party. According to the press service of the Gatchina diocese, there have been verbal complaints against this priest before - even during his work as rector of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Bolshaya Vruda. It is possible that after “all flights” are sorted out, Father Photius will be removed from the staff of the Gatchina diocese.

“Decent people have always served there”

And we will return again to the Marienburg Church of the Intercession, whose parishioners are very painfully experiencing what happened. Here's what they write on social networks:

“...Marienburg Church of the Intercession with an interesting history. This is the only temple where services were held during the Great Patriotic War... And worthy people always served there.”

“...I want to write a post in support of the temple. The rector of the church, Archpriest Anthony Antipov, is the most wonderful priest I have ever met in my life, and we are very lucky to have him. Unfortunately, a priest from another church was apparently called to baptize little Demid. And our church is very good, as are the people in it. It’s just that on that day there was a bad person inside her...”

“...The incident that occurred during the baptism of a child on August 10 is outrageous, and I think that Father Photius will be punished. However, few people know that Abbot Photius is a servant of another temple and cannot be the face of the Marienburg Church. It is a pity that such a person discredited such a blessed temple and its wonderful rector. The rector of the Marienburg Church, Father Anthony, is an amazingly kind man. Polite and attentive, he treats all people who come to the temple with love...”

“...I don’t know and I don’t want to know this Photius, and I don’t understand the motives of his action at all. Irritation towards the child? Drunk state? Breakdown? Lost mind? But I know the rector of the church, Archpriest Anthony Antipov, who played a very important role in the life of my family. This was several years ago, when he served in the Gorodets Church in the Luga region. Father Anthony literally protected my daughter from her former son-in-law, who was unruly with permissiveness. Not being afraid, not passing by, leaving his personal affairs for a while, he acted as a peacemaker and wise adviser. And he did it for the sake of the same little children - hostages of the situation. We are eternally grateful to him for this! Our parishioners are still grieving that Father Anthony is no longer our priest. I wish the Temple and all innocent people to cope with this difficult situation!”

Yulia Lysanyuk

Deaneries included in the diocese

A deanery is a part of a diocese that unites several parishes. The Gatchina diocese includes the following:

• Gatchina district deanery;
• Gatchina city deanery;
• Volosovskoe;
• Tosnenskoe;
• Slantsevskoye deanery;
• Sosnovoborskoe;
• Luzhskoe;
• Kingisepp district deanery.