Prayers Requested for Flood Victims in Krasnodar Territory

During the festal services celebrated by Metropolitan Isidore (Kirichenko) of Yekaterinodar and Bishop Herman (Kamalov) of Yeysk this morning in honor of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist at the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Yekaterinodar, Russia, special petitions were included for the victims victims of the recent flooding in southern Russia's Krasnodar Territory, which so far have claimed ninety-nine lives. Per Metropolitan Isidore's request please keep the Krasnodar Territory and its residents in your prayers as they continue to deal with the damage caused by the flooding. More here and in Russian here.

Akhtamar Cathedral Damaged in Van Earthquake

In addition to killing and injuring hundreds eastern Turkey's recent earthquake also cracked the dome of the former seat of the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Akhtamar, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akhtamar Island near Van. The newly restored cathedral does not seem to have suffered any other significant damage, but a full inspection has yet to take place. More here. Hat tip to The Orthodox Church website for posting this first!

Appeal for Thailand Flooding Victims

The head of the Orthodox Church in Thailand, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), has issued an appeal for assistance to be provided to Thailand, which is experiencing its worst flooding in 50 years. The flooding has caused an estimated $2 billion in damages and affected roughly 8.2 million people. The full appeal can be found here.

Greek Orthodox Archbishop Orders Assistance for Turkish Earthquake Victims

Archbishop Jerome II (Liapis) of Athens has ordered an NGO affiliated with the Church of Greece to provide every assistance to the victims of the recent earthquake in far eastern Turkey. More (in Greek) here.

Eastern Turkey Hit by Earthquake

Far eastern Turkey has been hit by a massive earthquake centering on the former Armenian royal capital of Van. So far over 200 have been reported dead and more than a 1,000 injured. More here.

Prayers Requested for Goldendale Monastery

Please remember the sisterhood of St. John's Monastery in Goldendale, Washington, in your prayers! A wildfire in southern Washington has reached the Monastery's grounds and the nuns and local residents have been evacuated while firemen seek to contain the fire.

Update (8/9/2011): Thank God, St. John's Monastery did not suffer any damage to its buildings during the wildfire, although nine homes in the area were destroyed. More here.

Ethiopian Orthodox Church, IOCC to Provide Aid to Famine Refugee Camps

The Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is preparing to join efforts to care of the thousands of Somali refugees gathering in camps in Ethiopia as the famine ravaging the eastern regions of the Horn of Africa deepens. In partnership with International Orthodox Christian Charities the Church hopes to help address sanitation issues in the camps and provide healthcare specialists to treat the camps' residents. More here.

Haitian Orthodox Appeal for Help

The fledgling Haitian Orthodox Church, a mission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, is appealing for assistance as Haiti continues to struggle to rebuild from a devastating 2010 earthquake and the Haitian Orthodox parishes and missions work to reestablish destroyed churches and homes. More here.

Historic Wooden Church Burns Down

A historic 18th century wooden church has burned down in Zalyzhzhia, Ukraine. More here.

Romanian Orthodox Church in Metro Atlanta Suffers Fire Damage

The consecration of the newly completed Church of St. Mary in [], Georgia, has had to be postponed due to a fire that significantly damaged the new church. More here.

Bishop Seraphim of Sendai on the Reconstruction

In an interview Bishop Seraphim (Tsujie) of Sendai of the Japanese Orthodox Church has said that, "The restoration of damaged buildings is a difficult task, but doable. It is more difficult to heal the wounds in the souls of the faithful." The funds necessary to repair the churches destroyed or damaged by the recent earthquake are available, but due to the ongoing reconstruction needs of eastern Japan as a whole the restoration of the Eparchy of Sendai's churches will take some time. More (in Russian) here.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch to Visit Japan in 2012

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow will visit Japan this coming year to check the progress in the reconstruction of the Japanese Orthodox churches damaged during its recent earthquake. More here.

Japanese Orthodox Synod to Meet, Discuss Earthquake Relief Efforts

The Local Synod of the Japanese Orthodox Church will meet this coming Tuesday to assess the needs of the areas of Japan effected by the recent earthquake and how the Church can help in the ongoing reconstruction efforts.

Since the earthquake the Eparchy of Sendai (the diocese of the Japanese Orthodox Church in the area worst hit by the earthquake) has accounted for all of its clergy and churches. Of its faithful it has been discovered that six died as a result of the earthquake while four others remain missing. More here.

Copy of Chernobyl Icon Given to Japanese Orthodox Church

The Chernobyl Union of Ukraine has given a copy of the Chernobyl Icon of the Savior to the Japanese Orthodox Church as Japan continues to suffer through its nuclear crisis. More here.

Missing Japanese Orthodox Priest Found

The Japanese Orthodox Church has reported that the missing priest from its Eparchy of Eastern Japan has been found alive and safe together with his family. More here.

Sendai Bishop Reports Status of Coastal Parishes Unknown

A report from Bishop Seraphim (Tsujie) of Sendai to Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow reprots that the status of most of the diocese's coastal parishes, which were in the area worst effected by the recent earthquake in Japan, is unknown. More here.

Russian Orthodox Church Providing Assistance to Japanese Orthodox

The Russian Orthodox Church is organizing assistance to the parishes of the Japanese Orthodox Church effected by the recent earthquake, primarily in the Eparchy of Sendai and Eastern Japan. More here.

Sendai Cathedral Unharmed

The Eparchy of Sendai of the Japanese Orthodox Church, located in the areas of Japan most effected by the recent earthquake, has reported that its cathedral in Sendai is unharmed despite the damage done to much of the city. In relaying the above Bishop Seraphim (Tsujie) of Sendai also, however, stated that the status of many of the other parishes of the diocese was unknown. More here.

Fire at Panteleimonou

A fire that broke out over the weekend in St. Panteleimon's Monastery on Mount Athos has been put out. Panteleimonou is the main Russian-speaking monastic community on the Holy Mountain. More here.

Russian Orthodox Church in Australia Issues Appeal for Flooding Victims

Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of New York of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, in his capacity as ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, has issued an appeal for the victims of the recent flooding in the Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. More here.