Delegation of the Russian Church Abroad visit Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia

On September 10, 2008, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, headed by His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland, arrived in Prague. Venerating the altar table of Assumption Church at the Russian cemetery, the delegation headed for the city of Brno. There, on the feast day of the Beheading of St John the Baptist, Bishop Peter and the members of the delegation participated in Divine Liturgy headed by His Eminence Archbishop Simeon of Moravia at the Church of St Wenceslas of the Czech Lands. It is worth noting that two great men of piety participated in its consecration: Holy Hierarch-Martyr Gorazd of Czech and Moravia and St Justin (Popovich).
After the divine service, Bishop Peter gave Archbishop Simeon a portion of the relics of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco for the Orthodox church in Brno. In his greeting, Protopriest Josef Feisak, the church’s Rector, remembered the late Metropolitan Laurus of blessed memory, who loved to visit the region, and expressed his pleasure at the concelebration held on this day, which became possible because of the restoration last year of the fullness of brotherly communion within the one Local Russian Orthodox Church. At the end, Fr Josef introduced the members of the delegation, and gave Bishop Peter a part of the holy relics of St Ludmila of Bohemia. Then, at the parish hall, the Rector hosted a luncheon in honor of Archbishop Simeon, Bishop Peter and the other guests.

Bidding farewell to Archbishop Simeon and Fr Josef, Bishop Peter and those with him returned to Prague, where they visited with His Beatitude Metropolitan Krystof, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, who joyfully welcomed them to dinner in his residence. His Grace Bishop Melety of Hotins, Vicar of the Chernovtsy and Bukovino Diocese was also in attendance.
Bishop Peter is being accompanied by Protopriest Serafim Gan, Priest Lubomir Kupec, Deacon Nicholas Olhovsky and Reader Eugene Hrihoriak.

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‘Miraculous’ Russian icon to be on display in Czech Republic

By ČTK / Published 19 September 2007

Prague, Sept 18 (CTK) - A Russian Orthodox icon of the Mother of God which allegedly weeps oil and blood tears will be on display in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, Orthodox Church bishop Jiří Stránský told journalists Tuesday.

The icon called the Softening of Stone Hearts has allegedly caused many miraculous healings and brought many people to belief in God.

After the accident of the Russian submarine Kursk in 2000, in which 118 men died, the icon started weeping bloody tears, Svatava Kabosova, editor-in-chief of the Czech magazine the Voice of the Orthodox, said.

"It is one of the biggest miracles of the 20th and 21st centuries because it was not the original but a paper copy of the icon that started weeping," Kabosova said.

The copy that is to be displayed in Prague as of Saturday was originally found in a pre-fab house in Moscow.

"The aim [of the exhibition] is not a desire to stir up sensation or to persuade somebody about a miracle," Stransky said. A visit to the icon should rather help all people seeking consolation and help, he added.

The icon has so far been on display only in Russia.

After Prague it will be displayed in Brno, south Moravia, Plzen and Karlovy Vary, both west Bohemia, and in Kosice, east Slovakia.

The Orthodox Church estimates to have 30,000 believers in the ten million Czech Republic and 70,000 members in the five million Slovakia.

The church also serves foreign church-goers, mainly Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Greeks, Romanians and other nationalities living in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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Czech Orthodox Church commemorates St. Gorazd's death under Nazis

Czech News Agency Tuesday, September 04, 2007 8:49 PM

Prague, Sept 4 (CTK) - The Czech Orthodox Church today held two events commemorating the 65th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Gorazd, who was tortured to death by Gestapo on September 4, 1942 and declared saint in 1987.

Bishop Gorazd was in charge of the St Cyril and Methodius church in Prague, in whose crypt he provided hiding to Czech parachutists after their successful attempt to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi Reichsprotector of Bohemia and Moravia, in May 1942.

The parachutists died in a Nazi raid of the church a few weeks after Heydrich's death. Gorazd put all the blame for the parachutists on himself and was executed.

The Orthodox Church was banned by the German occupiers. Many orthodox church-goers were sent to forced labour and concentration camps, their property was confiscated and many of their clergymen were executed.

The present number of believers and followers of the Orthodox Church in the ten million Czech Republic is estimated at more than 100,000, 70,000 of whom are Slovak citizens and 30,000 Czech citizens.

The church also serves foreign church-goers, mainly Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Greeks, Romanians and other nationalities living in the Czech Republic.

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