Home page News
Easter liturgy celebrated in Harbin after long int…

Easter liturgy celebrated in Harbin after long interruption

[gallery]
Over one hundred Russian compatriots came to the church of the Protecting Veil in Harbin, China, on Easter Day, April 4, 2010, for the Easter matins and liturgy. Most of them made confession and took communion.

Divine services were resumed at this church in 1986 after they had to be interrupted during ‘the Cultural Revolution’. However, since the parish rector, Father Gregory Zhu Shipu of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church died in 2000, the Orthodox community in Harbin was left without pastoral care and only the lay rite had to be used to carry out services.

The problem of observance for Russians who live in Harbin and assistance to the community of the Protecting Veil was repeatedly discussed in the dialogue between the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations and the Chinese State Directorate for Religious Affairs. This problem was considered in particular in the talk between DECR Chairman Archbishop (now Metropolitan) Hilarion of Volokolams and leaders of the Heilongjiang Province and Harbin Administrations for Religious Affairs on 19 November 2009 during the visit to China by a delegation of the Russian Presidential Council for Cooperation with Religious Organizations and the Department for External Church Relations led by His Eminence Hilarion. During that visit, His Eminence Hilarion came to the church of the Protecting Veil to meet with its parishioners.

The Heilongjiang Province Administration for Religious Affairs has granted a request from Orthodox Russians living in Harbin, supported by the Russian General Consulate in Shenyang, and has given permission for an Easter service at the church. It was celebrated by Hieromonk Stephan Igumnov who came to China with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion. D. Petrovsky and Ms. D. Kochkina of the DECR, came to Harbin to help him with conducting the service. Among those who walked in the Easter procession with the cross was Ms. Liubov Shitova, warden of the Chinese Orthodox community in Harbin. The Paschal Message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was read out during the Divine Liturgy.

An icon of our Saviour was presented to the church and accepted by Ms. Shitova. All the worshippers were given icons of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father Stephan conveyed to the Harbin administration for religious affairs a message of gratitude from the DECR chairman, Metropolitan Hilarion, for the assistance it had given to the parish.

After the Easter repast, Father Stephan and Orthodox compatriots visited the city cemetery in Harbin. They laid flowers at the memorial to Soviet soldiers and sang the troparion of the Resurrection. Then they said the lity for the dead according to the Easter rite and sang Easter hymns at the graves of Orthodox clergy.

Later that day, Mr. Petrovsky met with inspector Van Jangmin of the State Directorate for Religious Affairs and Yan Haisin, head of the Harbin administrations for religious affairs, to discuss problems involved in normalizing the status of Orthodoxy in China.

In the evening, the local administration for religious affairs gave a reception in honour of the DECR workers and Orthodox Russians in Harbin. During the reception, which was held in a festive and friendly atmosphere, it was noted that the service became a significant event in the life of the Orthodox community in Harbin and a contribution to the development of relations between Russia and China in the humanitarian sphere. Ms. Van Jangmin recalled with warmth her participation in the meetings of the State Directorate for Religious Affairs leaders with Patriarch Kirill who showed a special concern for the fate of Orthodox in China. Mr. Sergey Yeremin of the Orthodox community in Harbin expressed hope that Orthodox services would be held in the city on a regular basis.

Easter services were held this year in other cities in China as well. At the church of the Dormition in the territory of the Russian embassy in Beijing, the celebrations were led by Hegumen Melety Sokolov, assistant rector of Moscow Theological Academy, at the Russian General Consulate Rev. Alexy Kiselevich, at the Ukrainian embassy Archimandrite Kirill Govorun, vice-chairman of the ROC Education Committee. Holy Week and Easter services were also held in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences following the explosion at Iranian port of Bandar Abbas

27.04.2025

Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches сelebrate Liturgy at Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

25.04.2025

Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin

23.04.2025

A meeting of the Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches has taken place

22.04.2025

Сondolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the passing of Pope Francis

21.04.2025

His Holiness Patriarch celebrates Paschal vespers on Easter Sunday at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

20.04.2025

Paschal Message by Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

19.04.2025

On Good Friday the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Vespers with the Procession of the Burial Sheet of the Saviour at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

18.04.2025

On Thursday of Holy Week the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy and Office for the Consecration of Myrrh at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

17.04.2025

Patriarch Kirill addresses Primates of Local Orthodox Churches, Christian Leaders, Heads of State, and International organizations regarding law banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church

11.04.2025

Primate of the Russian Church leads celebrations in Donskoy Monastery marking the centenary of Patriarch Tikhon’s demise

06.04.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his enthronement

29.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences over devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand

28.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends letter to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch concerning tragic developments in Syria

11.03.2025

Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at the church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in Rome

27.04.2025

DECR Chairman attended the funeral of Pope Francis

26.04.2025

DECR Chairman attends farewell ceremony for Pope Francis

25.04.2025

DECR Chairman meets with Russian Ambassador to Italy

25.04.2025

DECR Chairman begins his visit to Italy and the Vatican

24.04.2025

First Hierarch of the Serbian Church visits Donskoy Monastery in Moscow

23.04.2025

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije visits Serbian Metochion in Moscow

23.04.2025

Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin

23.04.2025

DECR Chairman attends a meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group

22.04.2025

A meeting of the Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches has taken place

22.04.2025

Delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church arrives in Moscow headed by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia

21.04.2025

DECR Chairman expresses condolences on the passing of Pope Francis

21.04.2025

His Holiness Patriarch celebrates Paschal vespers on Easter Sunday at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

20.04.2025

On Good Friday the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Vespers with the Procession of the Burial Sheet of the Saviour at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

18.04.2025

On Thursday of Holy Week the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy and Office for the Consecration of Myrrh at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

17.04.2025

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب