St. Cyprian Klimuts Formally Glorified in Belarus

During the Divine Liturgy this morning at the Cathedral of St. Michael in Lida, Belarus, Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk and eleven other hierarchs of the Belorussian Orthodox Church formally celebrated the glorification of St. Cyprian Klimuts, who was recently canonized at a session of the Belorussian Orthodox Church's Local Synod. In addition to the many clergy and faithful present local regional and district officials also attended the glorification. More (in Russian) here.

Belorussian Orthodox Discuss Sectarian Activities

Representatives of the dioceses of the Belorussian Orthodox Church have met in Minsk to discuss the activities and growth of sects and cults in Belarus, their beliefs, and the Church's response to them. More (in Russian) here.

Belorussian Orthodox Local Synod Glorifies St. Cyprian Klimuts, Establishes Department for Cossack Relations

The Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church met late last week in Polotsk, Belarus, to discuss internal issues in the life of the Church. Among other things the Local Synod glorified St. Cyprian Klimuts and blessed the establishment of a department to regulate the Church's relations with Belarus' Cossacks. More (in Russian) here.

Belorussian Orthodox Glorify New Saint

This past Friday Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk led services glorifying the New Hieromartyr Constantine (Zhdanov) of Disna, whose glorification was recently blessed by the Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church in light of the 2007 discovery that the Saint's relics were incorrupt. Metropolitan Philaret was joined in the services by many of the other hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in Belarus. More here and (in Russian) here.

Pictured is St. Constantine prior to his martyrdom in 1919.

Metropolitan Philaret Serves Memorial for Minsk Attack Victims

Today marks the 40th day since the terrorist attack in Minsk, Belarus. The day is being marked with a memorial served by Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeyev) of the Belorussian Orthodox Church in Minsk's Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus in attendance. More (in Russian) here.

Grabarka Monastery Hosts 32nd Youth Pilgrimage

The 32nd annual Polish Orthodox youth pilgrimage was held this past weekend at the Mount Grabarka Monastery of Sts. Mary and Martha in eastern Poland with the participation of clergymen of the Polish and Belorussian Orthodox Churches. More (in Russian) here.

St. Leontius of Vilnius Glorified in Minsk

This past Sunday Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeyev) of the Belorussian Orthodox Church celebrated the glorification of Archimandrite St. Leontius (Karpovich) of Vilnius, a widely venerated saint in Belarus who led the resistance to the Union of Brest in what today is Lithuania and Belarus. The glorification was concelebrated by hierarchs of the Belorussian Orthodox Church and many clergy from the Orthodox Churches in Belarus and Lithuania. More (in Russian) here.

Minsk Prepares to Celebrate Metropolitan Melchizedek (Paevsky)

This coming week the Belorussian Orthodox Church will be organizing events in honor of Metropolitan Melchizedek (Paevsky) of Minsk, a prominent hierarch in the post-Soviet history of the Orthodox Church in Belarus. Metropolitan Melchizedek was elected to the Eparchy of Minsk after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1921 and quickly became popular in Belarus for his preaching and service to his flock.

To protect the Belorussian Orthodox faithful from the warring pro-German, Polish, and Soviet factions then present in the region Metropolitan Melchizedek declared the Belorussian Orthodox Church self-governing in 1922 (the tiny Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church claims to date from this time, though in actuality it was organized with Nazi support during World War II). Metropolitan Melchizedek later returned to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and reposed and was buried in Moscow in 1931.

More (in Belorussian) on Metropolitan Melchizedek's life and the upcoming events in Minsk commemorating him can be found here.

Memorials for Victims of Minsk Attack

This morning Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk and Slutsk, First Hierarch of the Belorussian Orthodox Church, served a memorial for the victims of yesterday's terrorist attack in the Minsk Metro in the capital's Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. All the churches of the Belorussian Orthodox Church have been blessed to serve memorials for the attack's victims for the next 40 days. More here and here.

Belorussian Orthodox Church, Ministry of Education Sign Agreement

The Belorussian government and the Belorussian Orthodox Church have signed an agreement on cooperation in their educational efforts. More here.

Meeting of Belorussian Orthodox Local Synod

At the meeting of the Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church yesterday it was decided to glorify a saint who struggled against the Unia, Archimandrite Leontius (Karpovich) of Vilnius, and to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In addition to the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus the meeting was also attended by high ranking officials of the Belorussian government. More here.

Antarctican Chapels En Route

Prefabricated chapels for the Ukrainian and Belorussian stations in Antarctica are in the process of being shipped to the stations with the blessings of Metropolitans Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Filaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk and Slutsk of the Belorussian Orthodox Church. More here.

Belorussian Dissident Wants Confessor

Tatsyana Sevyarynets, mother of jailed Belorussian dissident Pavel Sevyarynets, is pushing for the KGB to allow her son access to a priest for confession as its post-USSR regulations allow. More here.

Construction of Turov Cathedral Continues

Construction continues on the Cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Lawrence of Turov in the Belorussian city of Turov. Although the city has served as the seat of an eparchy of the Church of Rus' for centuries, it wasn't until the founding of Sts. Cyril and Lawrence's that the city had its own cathedral. More here.

Belorussian Orthodox Youth Association Meets

The Youth Association of the Belorussian Orthodox Church met today in central Belarus. Attended by 150 representatives from all the dioceses of the Orthodox Church in Belarus, the Association meeting was opened by Bishop Artemiy of Hrodno with a greeting from Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk and All Belarus. More here.