中文 | Русский | Provided by Pravoslavie.Ru

Ural Mountains-based Priest Heard Confessions
of Harbin's flock in Harbin in the Chinese Language

English translation by Nina Tkachuk Dimas

Hegumen Moisej (Pilats), the priest-in-charge of the Alapaevsk men's monastery named in honor of the New Martyrs of Russia (Sverdlovsk area), has returned to the Ural Mountains after two weeks of service at the Protection Church in the city of Harbin, China -- informs "INTERFAX" citing the Information-publishing department of the Ekaterinburg diocese. The Orthodox hegumen heard the confessions of local believers in both the Russian and Chinese languages. The priest studied the Chinese language independently in his monastic cell, according to the communiqué.

The choice of Harbin's Protection Church for a visit by the Urals-based priest was not accidental -- services had not been conducted there for a long time, ever since the death of the Orthodox priest who served there previously. Father Moisej was the first priest of the Ekaterinburg diocese who was blessed by Vikenty, Archbishop of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotursk, to conduct Orthodox divine services in China. The priest-in-charge of the Alapaevsk monastery has a long-standing friendship with Chinese Orthodox Christians. In particular, a group of pilgrim parishioners from the East came to the monastery to participate in Christmas services.

July 2, 2004