Parish in the Russian Orthodox Church. How a parish is created
Being interested in the question of what a church parish is, first let’s figure out how it differs from a temple. People often use the words “parish” and “temple” as synonyms, but there is still a difference between them. It is believed that a temple is simply a building for religious purposes, and a parish is made up of people who come to the temple, who are called parishioners. And they make up a whole parish, as the Gospel explains very well, in which there are the following words spoken by Jesus himself: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” This suggests that people go to church for worship to communicate with the Lord and with each other.
What are parishes?
The definition must be sought in history. Let's try to figure out how parishes arose and what contributed to this. Let's start with the fact that until 313, Christianity was banned on the territory of the Roman Empire. True believers gathered secretly for services in separate places - in caves or houses.
After the end of the persecution, ancient Christians began to refurbish and consecrate former pagan temples for their services. In this way, the very concept of a parish gradually emerges as the primary structure of the Church and a form of self-organization of church life.
Who is a parishioner?
The Bible says that the Church is the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and the parish is a cell of one large organism. A truly believing person should feel his involvement in the Universal Church precisely through such a community. This participation is mainly carried out through the sacrament of the Eucharist, where the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place (through these holy gifts the Orthodox are united with the Lord), and through Him there is unification with the entire Universal Church. The very understanding of “being a Christian”, first of all, includes participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Mission and charity
However, parish life is not only worship; it also includes non-church forms of activity - mission and charity. Missionary activity involves the education and training of new members of the community. Behind it comes charity: this is helping the sick and infirm, the elderly, the disabled, orphans and widows.
Divine service
You can come to church every day, stand at the service and participate in the sacraments, not forgetting about yourself and your salvation, as well as the salvation of your relatives, but you cannot remain indifferent and not be interested in what is happening in your community.
It is difficult to call such people members of a parish or community. A true member will be one who recognizes community life as a common cause. This is the Liturgy, which is not only part of the liturgical circle, it includes everything: church service, missionary and charity.
In the question of what a parish is, it should also be noted that a parish is not something separate and self-sufficient, it must necessarily be closely connected with the Church.
Church service
Every believer should try to delve as deeply as possible into the activities of the entire Christian Orthodox Church. Only then can a correct answer be given to the question of what a parish is. And here it is also important to understand that the Church, as the body of Christ, is in its own way a huge living organism, in which, in addition to the main organ (heart), other organs must work - head, arms, legs, liver, etc. And if the priest does not preach, then the community has no language, if there is no help for loved ones, then it is armless, there is no training in the basics of Christianity Orthodox faith- she's headless.
The topic “What is a parish” can be summarized as follows: a church community, a parish, is a single whole, a kind of completeness of its kind. And if something is missing, the parish does not fulfill its spiritual functions.
From this conversation you will learn about how the Lord, in one amazing and providential event, called the entire Torshin family to serve the Church in the monastic or priestly ranks, about how the future priest Demetrius received from Elder Elijah an answer to an as yet unanswered question. asked question, about how quickly the saints come to the rescue, and why it is so important to hold on to those who have succeeded more than us in spiritual life, as well as about one miraculous find - and several more amazing and edifying stories.
Sometimes they ask what I felt during my ordination to the priesthood, whether I felt any special grace-filled power that is given to pastoral service. I can’t speak for everyone. And about yourself - rather, there came a heightened sense of how weak you are, how much you do not meet the standard that the Lord set for His servant. The awareness of one’s weakness becomes more acute. And at the same time, the presence of God becomes more obvious than ever: when you humble yourself, the Lord comes and does everything for you.
I prepared, wrote a draft, confessed and received communion at the liturgy, put on my surplice, and approached the priest for a blessing. He took the cross from the throne, blessed me with it, gave me a kiss and said: “Go, preach the gospel!”
And I unexpectedly felt an incomprehensible power that is not in you, but with you. They placed a lectern for me on the pulpit so that I could put my crib sheet there, but when I came out, I felt that I didn’t need any crib sheet, that the lectern would only separate me from the parishioners.
I put the lectern aside, did not take out any draft, and began to speak my sermon. Didn't say anything special - the most simple words, but at the same time he himself felt what unusual power they possessed. I felt every person in the temple and understood that every person felt me.
It’s difficult to describe: you feel how everyone trembles - and yourself - from the power of words, but not from your own eloquence, which in fact you may not have, but from that Power that is present here and does not depend on you , but depends only on the Lord, Who touched the hearts of these people. And you yourself are simply a conductor of this Power of God.
When I went out to church after the service, people came up to me with words of gratitude, saying how shocked they were, the men admitted that they were blinking away tears. After the service in the evening, I met one abbess of the monastery I knew, who told me that they called her and shared their impressions of what an amazing sermon they heard today in the cathedral.
This is the feat of the saints: they were so humble that the Lord could act through them
I was very inspired and thought that now it would always be like this. And when my second sermon came up on schedule, I decided to say it even better. I prepared even more carefully; I didn’t have enough time for Confession and Communion - I repeated the words of the sermon to myself throughout the service in order to properly hone it.
When I went out to the pulpit, I moved the lectern away, as before, and felt that nothing was happening. There was absolutely no power in the fact that I began to speak, albeit beautifully, and, accordingly, no echo in the hearts of the people listening to me. My words sounded completely dry and lifeless. Then I took the draft out of my pocket and simply read from the piece of paper everything I wanted to say.
The Lord showed me in practice how His words come true: Without Me you can't do anything(John 15:5).
This is the feat of all the saints: they were so humble, so lacking in arrogance that the Lord could act through them without hindrance.
God's providence in the life of my family
The Providence of God operates in the life of every person, but sometimes it is hidden, and sometimes it clearly reveals itself in some signs, significant meetings, words heard at the right time. How has the Lord called my family? It happened like this.
My mother's brother, my uncle, studied at Tverskoy State University. In 1990, he went to Optina Pustyn. The monastery had only just been returned to the Church (in 1989), and it lay in ruins. My uncle, 25-year-old Vyacheslav (later monk Gabriel), felt with all his heart the calling grace in the newly opened monastery. In one day, he had a complete reassessment of values - so the Lord powerfully called him.
The uncle met Father Iliodor, now an archdeacon, and told how Optina touched his heart. In response, Father Iliodor told him: “Go home, take your things and return to the monastery.” My uncle did just that. He was tonsured a monk with the name Gabriel, and for several years served as a cell attendant to the elder, schema-abbot, now schema-archimandrite Elijah (Nozdrin).
The elder blessed his uncle to write letters to his sisters and in these letters to tell about the faith that he had gained. After reading the letter, my parents got ready and went to Optina to see everything with their own eyes. We saw it. In Optina they baptized me, and they themselves soon got married.
After this, conscious church life began in our family. We then lived in the Moscow region. In the late 1990s, Elder Eli unexpectedly advised our family to move to the outback and start a farm and plant a vegetable garden. That's what we did. And when the default struck, the money became worthless, we survived this time very well on our own milk, our own stew and all the gifts from our garden. At the same time, our city friends were having difficulty making ends meet.
And a few years later, the elder blessed us to move closer to Optina, where my brother and sisters and I grew up, spending all our holidays and free time in the monastery and helping with obediences. We literally didn’t leave Father Iliodor’s side all day. It was he who gave us the first prayer rules, mentored, supported.
As a result, one of my sisters went to a monastery in her youth, now she is a nun, another sister is married to a seminarian who is awaiting ordination. My mother, with the blessing of the elder, took monastic vows. My grandmother was tonsured a nun in Shamordino in 2000. I myself now serve in, and also serve twice a week in Shamordino, where my grandmother labored as a monk for 15 years before departing to the Lord.
My mother's sister is also a nun. Her sons, my cousins, also connected their lives with the Church. One of my cousins, Priest Dionysius, serves in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord at Mekhzavod, not far from the Optina Monastery, the second is a subdeacon with the Bishop of Ostrogozh and Rossoshansky.
How I received from the elder an answer to my yet unasked question
When I grew up and was faced with choosing a path in life, I was interested in a lot of things: sports, mountaineering, and military affairs...
Everything went well with me in the humanities, so I was even a multiple laureate All-Russian Olympiads basics Orthodox culture. He had certificates for admission to several Moscow universities at once. At the same time, I became a sexton in the temple.
There were so many paths open to me that I didn’t know which one would be most beneficial for me to choose. I went to Elder Elijah to resolve this issue. At this time he was already serving in Peredelkino, and it was not so easy to get to him. I chose the moment when he was blessing the bells in the church at the Mechzavod, and squeezed through the crowd to the elder at the end of the prayer service to ask him my question.
At this time, the elder, pressed by the people, took off his phelonion, armlets, and epitrachelion. He saw me in the crowd, waved his hand to me, called me to him and silently handed me the vestments. A split second - and, caught up by the crowd, he left. And I remained standing, having received a comprehensive answer to my not yet asked question.
Wonderful find
When a person comes to faith or a priest begins to serve, the Lord carries them in his arms
When a person just comes to faith or a newly ordained priest begins to serve, the Lord carries them in his arms, and this is obvious to me.
Once, after his appointment as rector of the Church of the Assumption Holy Mother of God to the village of Ozerskoye, I was sorting out the trash in the attic of the church and found an old icon in a large icon case. It was impossible to make out the face of the icon, since it was covered with the same gilding as in earlier mintage, which had become unusable over time. They brought the icon, most likely, for burning, since it lay among the candle stubs, empty bottles from lamp oil and other old church utensils prepared for burning.
He took the icon in his hands, opened the icon case, scraped off the gilding, and underneath it was an unusually beautiful face - the ancient Kazan icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The face was so alive that it sank into the soul. And it was a large icon, consisting of several parts and metal chasing, and the image itself was much smaller in size.
I cut out the icon and separated it from the metal embossing. I started looking for a suitable icon case for her, smaller in size, - and in the same pile of church utensils I found an ancient icon case, where the icon fit exactly, as if it had been specially intended for it.
For me it was the grace of God, like an accident, but not an accident either, as if through this incident the Lord showed me His Providence about everything, even in small things.
I began to pray often in front of this icon - and when I did this, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Lord miraculously arranged everything. It seems to me that when some unusual circumstances are associated with an icon, or it is revered as miraculous, a person prays with greater faith, and the Lord said: According to your faith may it be done to you(Matt. 9:29).
What is a miracle in the Church?
How does it happen when you arrive? With the greatest sorrow, when they no longer know where to go, people go to the priest. They may not really know about God yet, but they are looking for help and intuitively feel and hope that the priest will help them. And he really must help them - intercede for them before God. And what is my main responsibility? Pray for these people.
When they came to the Venerable Saint John of Shanghai or the Venerable John of Kronstadt, they prayed, and the Lord heard them. But they were holy people. And we are ordinary priests, ordinary people... But what is the miracle in the Church?
There is an Earthly Church, militant, and a Heavenly Church, triumphant. And those who have walked their path in life and become saints - they belong to the triumphant Church and take a very active part in our lives. They are still here on Earth, they have learned to truly love - and after their death they continue to love us who live on Earth and meet us in our own way. life path numerous problems, sorrows and illnesses. They love us, they pray for us, and we find in them those who understand and feel us like no one else.
And each of us, those who turn to them for prayer help, knows this own experience- it’s not for nothing that we ask: Holy Hierarch Father Nicholas, pray to God for us! Or: Holy blessed mother Ksenia, pray to God for us!
If we had not had this experience, it is unlikely that anyone would begin to pray.
The saints quickly come to the call and pray with us
Somehow people in their forties come to me. They have grief - they have no children. Or a woman calls from a Moscow maternity hospital and cries: she gave birth to a child in the morning, it’s already evening, and he still only gives weak signs life, breathes with difficulty, does not eat. He calls at twelve at night, asks what can be done, maybe he needs to be baptized urgently? And she is my friend, and it’s really unclear what to do: either she should wake up some unknown Moscow priest, or I should urgently go to Moscow myself, but it’s a five-hour drive... And an answer is needed urgently. And you yourself, although a priest, are not a saint, but a very ordinary, sinful person, and your bar is even higher, because you are a clergyman.
You can turn to the Heavenly Church and call the saints for help
But you can turn to the Heavenly, triumphant Church and call for help the saints who quickly come to the call and pray with us. And the Lord answers their prayer.
And so this childless couple and I prayed before the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, miraculously revealed. Or I went and read an akathist in front of this icon at twelve at night, so that the Most Holy Theotokos Herself would help arrange what people are powerless to arrange.
And the results of prayer are immediately obvious. A few months later I meet a childless couple again - and they are completely happy, and I immediately understand why: the woman’s tummy is rounded, and it’s immediately obvious that she is expecting a child. And in the second case, I send an SMS: we pray. And I get the answer: the child came to life, began to breathe normally and took the breast on his own.
“Well, Sofia, are we expecting a baby?!”
One day, a misfortune happened to our friends: the pregnancy froze, and the young woman had to undergo surgery to remove the dead fetus.
They were, of course, very worried about this, and I asked Father Iliodor to pray for the grieving parents. And he exclaimed with great sorrow:
Why the operation?! It was necessary to give her unction - and the baby would come to life!
And there was such faith in his words that I was simply amazed...
Some time passed. Once Father Iliodor, when meeting my mother, asked her:
Well, Sofia, are we expecting a baby?!
And my mother had just taken a pregnancy test before going to Optina, and it was negative. So she shook her head. And Father Iliodor says:
But for some reason it seemed to me that we were waiting...
After some time, my mother had a severe stomach ache, and I took her to Kaluga. The doctor examined her, did an ultrasound and said that she had a frozen pregnancy. He scolded them for having reached such a serious state and warned that they would urgently clean them in the morning.
It was like thunder struck us. Mother was crying. At some point, I remembered the words of Father Iliodor, full of confidence, that if our friends had received unction on time, the child would have come to life. This assumption seemed completely incredible, but I took my wife from the hospital with a signature - they wouldn’t let me go any other way.
We arrived home, and I began to administer unction to her. At the same time, we both cried and prayed fervently - like never before in our lives. The abdominal pain stopped and there was no fever. When we went to the antenatal clinic again, the doctor examined my wife and said that the child was alive and well. The Lord performed an obvious miracle.
I want to add, so as not to seduce anyone with this story, that a miracle is a miracle, and we cannot expect it to happen in the case of every frozen pregnancy. Of course, there are pregnancy complications that are life-threatening for the mother and child, when the first thing you need to do is call “ Ambulance” and go to the hospital, but you can talk about unction only in the hospital ward. But prayer should accompany every pregnancy, as well as our entire lives, that’s for sure.
So, my mother was pregnant, and Father Iliodor kept asking her:
So, when are you going to give birth to my grandson?
When a person burns himself, he lights up those around him with his faith.
Mother replied that, according to the results of the ultrasound, she was expecting a girl. To which Father Iliodor remarked:
And it seemed to me that the grandson would be...
As a result, she gave birth to a son, whom we named Iliodor. He is now three months old.
If it weren’t for communication with Father Iliodor, this would not have happened. We would not have had enough faith - and our son would not have been born. And when a person himself burns, he ignites those around him with his faith.
Great power of the sacrament
One of my friend’s priest’s godfather was seriously ill, and he went to visit him in the hospital, and maybe to see him off on his last journey - he didn’t really know it then. The godfather was an elderly man and was in a severe unconscious state in intensive care, only occasionally coming to his senses.
The priest, seeing the unconscious patient, was at a loss: there was no way to give him communion. Suddenly a doctor on duty in the intensive care unit approached him. He drew attention to the visitor’s cassock and asked:
Are you a priest?
Having received an affirmative answer, he asked for unction to everyone who was in intensive care at that time. And there, besides the godfather, there were two people lying: a seriously ill elderly man in critical condition and a young guy-athlete who did an extremely unsuccessful somersault. He injured his spine and was also in very serious condition. The priest asked them:
Will you take unction?
Somehow, by signs, they made it clear that they agreed - and the priest administered unction to all three.
When he came to the intensive care unit the next day, none of the three dying people were there. When the priest, with a sinking heart, asked the doctor where the patients were, he exclaimed in surprise:
How is this where?! Of course, they were transferred to the general ward, to therapy.
But how is this possible?!
I am a non-church person and have no idea how this is possible and how it even works. You are a priest, you explain to me how it works! But I know only one thing: if you give unction to a dying person, then he either dies and no longer suffers, or quickly recovers.
Such is the power of Unction! But we don’t even always realize what a great sacrament we are resorting to!
Repentance is not one day’s work!
Christian life lies in constant spiritual growth. If we do not grow spiritually, we die spiritually, we are spiritually barren. The Lord said: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(Matt. 7:19).
Some people are in no hurry to change their lives in the hope that they will engage in repentance and prayer later, when they have more free time, and will have time to repent at least before their death.
One day, my friend and I came to the Caucasus and went for a walk in the mountains. The weather was good, and being young, we took our outing very lightly, dressed too lightly, hoping to quickly run and return back. When we returned, we only had to cross one alpine plateau.
Suddenly the weather turned bad and clouds rolled in. They crawl right along the ground there - and you find yourself simply in the epicenter of the cloud. The fog descended and it became impossible to see anything in the distance. arm's length. Then it started to rain heavily and it was very cold. And around there was nothing but grass and stones: no tree, no cave, no shelter. Anyone who goes to the mountains knows how dangerous it is. Then the downpour gave way to sleet.
Surely you have heard about inexperienced tourists who died in the mountains, and even local shepherds who did not get their bearings in time and froze ten meters from their huts.
Soon we completely lost direction and after several hours of wandering we realized that we were going in a circle. And in this situation it became clear to me that perhaps in a few hours we would die. It would seem that in the face of mortal danger an unusually strong feeling of repentance should come - the same feeling that many hope for when they put off their spiritual life for later.
But I clearly experienced this: nothing drastic may happen in the heart. I don't want to say what it is general rule. The Lord is free to visit a person even a few minutes before death. But this may not happen. At the very least, postponing repentance in the hope that it can be done later, even before death, is very impudent and reckless.
Repentance also needs time, repentance and repentance are two different things
And so I experienced it from my own experience: I did not have any particularly repentant feelings. Of course, I regretted that many things in my life were not as I would have liked. But some kind of spiritual leap, breakthrough - approaching what a person should achieve in his life through gradual spiritual growth - did not happen.
I then realized very clearly that repentance also needed time, and that it could take a very long time. I clearly understood from my own experience what the holy fathers are talking about: repentance and repentance are two different things. Judas repented, and then went and hanged himself. And with repentance, there is a change in the way of thinking, a reversal of the vector of movement of the human heart towards God.
So you shouldn’t put off repentance until later, because every day of this is valuable. spiritual work. This is more than one day's work!
How Father Iliodor put things in order in his cell
When I first arrived at my first parish, I immediately felt that this was my place. It was such a strong feeling, such tenderness - it brought me to tears. My soul became very warm, because the Lord revealed to me the place where I should serve Him.
My parish life began. The Lord wants spiritual growth and perfection from all of us, and when we do not want to strive for this perfection of our own free will, He puts us in such conditions that we have to do it willy-nilly.
When we first arrived at the parish with my mother, it turned out that we had nowhere to live there: there was a parish house, but it was unfinished. That's why at first we rented an apartment. I remember how the first month I was waiting for my first salary, and at the end of the month the treasurer said that we had to pay 30 thousand (taxes plus electricity payments), so not only is there no talk about my salary, but I myself have to find these 30 thousand, so that we can continue to serve in our church.
But here’s what’s amazing - the Lord is the most in an unexpected way gave me everything I needed for life and ministry, as He promised: Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you that Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of them (Matt. 6:28-29).
A few months later I began to arrange a room in the parish house, where there was nothing but walls.
One of the dearest people in Optina for me is Father Iliodor. He has known me since infancy, from the very moment when my parents brought me to Optina and baptized me. So I went to Father Iliodor to ask for his prayers and help.
In front of me, he began to humbly call all the numbers recorded in his phone, asking for some help. But everyone answered that it was not possible now, maybe later. Then Father Iliodor went with me to the parish, looked at which room in the parish house I could start living in, and offered me furniture: a sofa, table and chairs.
Since I had already been to his cell, I immediately realized that he had listed to me everything that was in his own cell, and he only recently got a sofa; before that there was no sofa.
I began to refuse, but the next day they brought me all this, and the driver said with a smile that today Father Iliodor was putting things in order in his cell and decided to get rid of everything unnecessary.
With this furniture from Father Iliodor, the improvement of our home began, in which my mother and I had already managed to master one room, which serves us as a living room, a bedroom, and a nursery, and where sometimes miraculously accommodates up to twenty guests.
“Your task is to reach everyone!”
Once upon a time in our village there stood a beautiful stone temple with four thrones. The central throne was the Assumption, and three more: in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Apostle John the Theologian and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” The temple was blown up in 1941 - bricks were needed to build a road.
Local old women still remember how everyone was ordered to close the windows with shutters or hang them from the outside so that the blast wave would not break the glass. Those who did not do this were left without glass - such was the force of the explosion. But the temple fell apart into large blocks from this explosion, and the brick could not be used for its intended purpose.
The new temple, erected by the whole world, is also beautiful, but completely different - a log tower with seven domes, pointing silver crosses into the clouds. Sometimes you look at him and freeze, as if you miraculously found yourself in ancient Rus'. The new temple is much smaller than the old one, it is single-altar.
While still a seminarian, I went to Pskov and was amazed by the beauty of the iconostasis in the Mirozhsky Monastery - this iconostasis is made of gray stones, and there is something very majestic and ancient about it.
And so, when I arrived at my parish, I went down to the basement under the church - I saw that in this basement there were windows, and here it was possible, over time, to make a warm winter church with an iconostasis from the same gray rubble stones as in the Mirozhsky Monastery. Now this is my dream - to make a warm lower church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, since our upper church is very cold, it was not caulked during construction, and the wind blows there. So, in order for parishioners to pray with us in winter, they need to seriously wrap themselves in warm clothes.
I plan to insulate the upper church as well, but today we need more funds for this than to equip the lower church for winter. But, unfortunately, there are no funds yet.
I sought a meeting with Father Eli to ask for his prayers to resolve our material problems with the church and the parish house. Father Eli asked where I served, and upon hearing my answer, he was very happy. Told me:
Is it hard for you? Just imagine how hard it is for those people who live next to you! Their temple was blown up, they grew up knowing nothing about God, oh eternal life, were deprived of the most important things... Now a new temple has been built, but many in the village still have no idea why they need this temple. Your task is to reach each of them! Do it! Get started! Build! And the Lord will help through people.
I live and work with this parting word from the elder.
The concept of parish comes from Greece. Greek word"parikia" translated means "near the house", the area around the temple with the population that was under its guardianship. A bishop was assigned to her and performed sacred rites for the parishioners. This name was common in Russia, especially in the western regions.
Over time, the meaning acquired a slightly different meaning.
What does the word "arrival" mean today?
Nowadays there are many churches, and transport allows you to quickly get to a service or holiday, not only in churches located near your home. There is no strict assignment of parishioners on a territorial basis.
The parish consists not only of residents of the surrounding area, but also of those who like the way services and sermons are held here, and those who find a priest for spiritual nourishment.
A community of people who constantly attend one temple constitutes its church parish, although each believer may have several such favorite temples.
History of parishes
But parishioners did not always enjoy such freedom of choice.
Previously, parish churches kept metric books. They recorded dates of birth and death, weddings. Each citizen turned in accordance with his faith to the synagogue, mosque, church to which he was assigned at his place of residence.
Sale and purchase agreements, relocations were also taken into account, characteristics of parishioners, and information about trustworthiness were given. This form of accounting existed until the Revolution of 1917, then these functions were transferred to the registry offices.
All requirements were fulfilled strictly in their parish, and they could get married in the church of the bride or groom’s parish.
Church parishes were formed directly at the place of residence, without taking into account personal wishes.
For a parish of less than 700 people there was a priest and a psalm-reader, and if there were more parishioners, then there was also a deacon.
In ancient times, parishioners could choose clergy, then only recommend them to the bishop.
The community chose general meeting the elder, who was entrusted with the management of the church household. What was the parish in terms of territory? The bishop himself approved the boundaries between the churches of the diocese. To conduct charity, brotherhoods were created from community members.
What were the parishes like after the Revolution?
What is the arrival after the Revolution? Due to historical changes in Russia, many churches were closed, priests were shot or exiled to camps. The concept of “church parish” gradually began to change its original meaning.
People prayed in the catacomb churches and performed their services in secret. At home, funeral services were held for the dead and infants were baptized, prayers were served and akathists were read. This life was hidden from the world by a veil of secrecy, because believers were punished, expelled from educational institutions, fired, imprisoned.
Churches were destroyed and converted into warehouses, cultural centers, and gyms. The parish did not gather around a specific place, but held on to a specific priest.
By the time churches began to open again, the concept of community had become synonymous with the word “parish,” which consists of both those Christians who live next to the church and those who visit it constantly, at the call of their souls.
Organizations of parishes at present
Despite the fact that parishioners could not choose a priest, communities still inform the bishop of their desire to see a specific priest as rector. Often these wishes are taken into account when appointing a rector, especially in small towns.
What is a parish in our time?
All communities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia must hold parish meetings, adopt a new parish charter revised in accordance with the standard, and have it approved by the diocesan bishop. Each parish must approve its charter and register it with the Ministry of Justice.
The bishop makes a decision on the creation and abolition of a parish in his diocese, appoints the composition of the Parish Assembly and the rector.
The chairman of the parish council, who is usually the rector, has the right of first signature on financial and banking documents.
Every parish must have Sunday school, participate in religious processions, conduct public conversations for those wishing to be baptized and godparents, do charity work, publish newspapers.
Parishes are created in new areas, restored churches, in hospitals, colonies and prisons, and hospices.
What is the arrival in the lives of the sick and prisoners? They can confess and receive communion, rethink their lives, have a heart-to-heart talk with a priest, and receive mentoring.
Participation in parish life
The opportunity to receive communion in different churches and go to services in different churches sometimes captivates believers. In one church there is a good choir, in another there are sermons, in a third there are beautiful paintings.
Imperceptibly, the love of change becomes almost secular entertainment. When making pilgrimages, getting to know various parishes, one must remember that the main thing for which a person goes to church is prayer and repentance, peace in the soul.
Orthodox parishes abroad are of particular importance. Parishioners from different cities gather there for holidays; for them it is an island of their native land.
Metropolitan Sourozhsky Anthony advised giving parishioners the opportunity to decide how actively they want to participate in the life of the parish or not participate in it at all.
He invited parishioners to fill out a questionnaire and indicate the desired level of activity in parish life: whether a person only wants to come to pray, participate in events, charity, and in organizing parish life.
Participation in parish life makes it possible to find friends and acquaintances of faith with whom you can travel to holy places, organize leisure time for children, and share the joy of Christian holidays. When communicating with other parishioners, you need to beware of gossip and condemnation, which often carry you away out of old habit.
Introduction.
One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church (hereinafter referred to as the Orthodox Church) is the original and genuine New Testament Church, which was founded by Jesus Christ himself and His apostles.
This is described in the “Acts of the Holy Apostles” (in the Holy Scriptures - the Bible). The Orthodox Church consists of national Local Churches (currently about 12) which are headed by local patriarchs. All of them are administratively independent from each other and equal to each other. The head of the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ Himself, and in the Orthodox Church itself there is no board or any general administrative body. The Ecumenical Orthodox Church has existed without interruption, from its beginning until now. In 1054, the Roman Church separated from the Orthodox Church. Since 1517 (the beginning of the Reformation), many Protestant Churches have been founded. After 1054, the Roman Church introduced many changes in the teaching of the Church, and the Protestant Churches made even more. Over the course of many centuries, heterodox (Christian but not Orthodox) churches changed the original teachings of the Church. The history of the Church was also forgotten or deliberately changed. All this time, the teaching of the Orthodox Church has not changed and has been preserved in its original form until now. Someone who recently converted to Orthodoxy (converts) very aptly said that the existence of the Orthodox Church is one of the biggest secrets of our time - this is, of course, in the West. The teaching of the Orthodox Church can be characterized by completeness, since it contains everything that is necessary for the life and salvation of a person. It is holistically consistent with nature and with all sciences: psychology, physiology, medicine, etc. In many cases it turned out to be ahead of all sciences.
1. The beginning of the Church. Story Christian Church begins with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (Acts 2:1-4) (this day is considered a major holiday in the Orthodox Church). The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and they became braver, bolder, more courageous and began to speak different languages, which were not previously spoken for the preaching of the Gospel. The apostles, mostly fishermen, without any education, began to correctly preach the teachings of Jesus Christ in different places and cities.
2. Five ancient churches. The consequence of the apostolic preaching was the emergence of Christian societies in different cities. Later these societies became Churches. In this way five ancient churches were founded: (1) Jerusalem, (2) Antioch, (3) Alexandria, (4) Roman and (5) Constantinople Churches. First ancient church, there was the Jerusalem Church, and the last was the Church of Constantinople. [The Church of Antioch is now also called the Syrian Church. And the city of Constantinople, (now Istanbul) is located in Turkey].
At the head of the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ Himself. Each ancient Orthodox Church was led by its own patriarch (the patriarch of the Roman Church was called the pope). Individual Churches are also called patriarchates. All churches were equal. (The Roman Church believes that it was the governing church and the Pope was the head of all five churches). But the first of the ancient Churches that was founded was Jerusalem, and the last was Constantinople.
3. Persecution of Christians. The first Christians were ancient Jews and experienced great persecution from Jewish leaders who did not follow Jesus Christ and did not recognize His teachings. First Christian martyr, the holy apostle and first martyr Stephen, was stoned to death by the Jews for preaching Christianity.
After the fall of Jerusalem, many times more terrible persecution of Christians began from the pagan Romans. The Romans were against Christians, since Christian teaching was the complete opposite of the customs, morals and views of the pagans. Christian teaching preached love instead of selfishness, put humility in place of pride, instead of luxury, taught abstinence and fasting, eradicated polygamy, promoted the emancipation of slaves, and instead of cruelty called for mercy and charity. Christianity morally elevates and purifies a person and directs all his activities towards good. Christianity was prohibited, severely punished, Christians were tortured and then killed. This was the case until 313, when Emperor Constantine not only freed Christians, but also made Christianity the state religion, instead of paganism.
4. Saints in the Church. Saints are those God-loving people who distinguished themselves by piety and faith, were marked for this with various spiritual gifts from God, and believers deeply reverence them. Martyrs are saints who suffered a lot for their faith or were tortured to death. Holy martyrs are depicted on icons with a cross in their hands.
The names of the holy martyrs, as well as other saints, are recorded in Orthodox calendars for veneration. Orthodox Christians remember their saints, study their lives, take their names as an example for themselves and their children, celebrate their days of memory, are inspired by their examples and try in every possible way to imitate them, and also pray to them so that they pray to the Lord God for them. Orthodox Russian people celebrate "Angel's Day" or "name day", and this is the day of the saint whose name they bear. One’s birthday is not supposed to be celebrated or is celebrated modestly with one’s family.
5. Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church. From apostolic times to the present time, there has been a continuous series of holy fathers and teachers of the Church. Church Fathers are church writers who became famous for their holiness of life. Church writers who are not saints are called teachers of the Church. All of them preserved the apostolic tradition in their works and explained faith and piety. In difficult times, they defended Christianity from heretics and false teachers. Here are some of the most famous names: St. Athanasius the Great (297-373), St. Basil the Great (329-379), St. Gregory the Theologian (326-389) and St. John Chrysostom (347-407).
6. Ecumenical Councils. When it was necessary to resolve some controversial issue or work out some general approach, then councils were convened in the Church. The first church council was convened by the apostles in 51 and is called the Apostolic Council. Later, following the example of the Apostolic Council, Ecumenical Councils began to be convened. Many bishops and other representatives of all churches were present at these councils. At the councils, all churches were equal to each other, and after debates and prayers, various issues were resolved. The decisions of these councils were recorded in the Book of Rules (Canons) and became part of the teaching of the Church. Except Ecumenical Councils Local councils were also held, the decisions of which were later approved by the Ecumenical Councils.
The 1st Ecumenical Council took place in 325 in the city of Nicaea. 318 bishops were present, among them St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia. Besides them, there were many other participants in the cathedral - about 2000 people in total. The 2nd Ecumenical Council took place in 381 in Constantinople. 150 bishops attended. The Creed, the most short definition Christian faith, was approved at the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils. It consists of 12 members that precisely define the Christian faith and which could not be changed. Since that time, the Orthodox Church has used the unchanged Creed. The Western Church (Roman and Protestant societies) subsequently changed the 8th member of the original Creed. The 7th Ecumenical Council took place in 787, also in the city of Nicaea. 150 bishops attended. At this council the veneration of icons was approved. The 7th Ecumenical Council was the last at which all Churches were present to this day and was not convened again.
7. Scripture(Bible). The sacred books that make up the Holy Scriptures have been used by Christians from the very beginning of the Church. They were finally approved by the Church in the 51st year (85th canon of the Apostolic Council), in the 360th year (60th canon of the local Laodicean Council), in the 419th year (33rd canon of the local Carthage Council), and also in the year 680 (2nd rule of the 6th Ecumenical Council in Constantinople).
8. Apostolic succession. Apostolic succession is very important sign True Church. This means that Jesus Christ chose and blessed His apostles to continue His preaching, and the apostles blessed their disciples, who blessed the bishops and who blessed the priests, and so on to this day. Thus, the initial blessing of Jesus Christ, and therefore the Holy Spirit and confirmation, is on every priest in the Church.
Apostolic succession exists in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church (which includes a number of Local Orthodox Churches, including the Russian - the largest) and in the Roman Church. The Protestant Churches have lost it. This is one of the many reasons why, in the eyes of the Orthodox Church, Protestant Churches are not Churches, but Christian societies.
9. The Roman Church separates, 1054. From the very beginning of Christianity, in the Roman Church there arose a desire for primacy in the Church. The reason for this was the glory of Rome and the Roman Empire, and with it the spread of the Roman Church. In 1054, the Roman Church separated from other churches and became known as the Roman Church. Catholic Church. (The Roman Church believes that the Orthodox Churches separated from it and calls this incident the Eastern Schism). Although the name "Orthodox Church" had been used before, the remaining churches, in order to emphasize their insistence on the original teaching, began to call themselves Orthodox Churches. Other abbreviated names are also used: Orthodox Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox Catholic, etc. Usually the word “Catholic” is omitted; this means “Ecumenical”. The correct full name is: One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church.
10. The Orthodox Church after 1054. After 1054, the Orthodox Church did not introduce any new teachings or changes. New national Orthodox Churches were created by mother churches. The mother church founded a new daughter church. Then, first she prepared local priests, then bishops, and after that she gradually gave more and more independence, until complete independence and equality were given. An example of this is the creation of the Russian Church, the Church of Constantinople. In the Orthodox Churches the local language is always used.
11. The Roman Church after 1054. After 1054, the Roman Church introduced many new teachings and changes, distorting the decisions of the first Ecumenical Councils. Some of them are given below:
- 14 so-called “Ecumenical Councils” were held. Other churches did not participate in them and therefore they do not recognize these councils. Each council introduced some new teachings. The last council was the 21st and it is known as Vatican II.
- The doctrine of celibacy (celibacy) for the clergy.
- Payment for sins, past and future.
- The Julian (old) calendar was replaced by the Gregorian (new) calendar. Because of this, changes occurred in calculating the date of Easter, which is at odds with the resolution of the 1st Ecumenical Council.
- The 8th article of the Creed has been changed.
- Posts have been changed, shortened or eliminated.
- The doctrine of the infallibility of the Roman popes.
- Doctrine of non-involvement Mother of God To original sin Adam.
Not a single Church dared to do this, preserving the unity and purity of the faith. In the Orthodox Church, where the Holy Spirit is, all Local Churches are equal - this was taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Roman Local Church, not having achieved primacy over others, withdrew from the Universal Church. Hence the distortions came without the Spirit of God...
12. Protestant Churches. Due to the many and obvious deviations of the Roman Church from Christian teaching, and also because the monk Martin Luther did not know about the existence of the Orthodox Church, he demanded changes in 1517. This fact marked the beginning of the Reformation, when many people began to leave the Roman Church for the new, so-called Protestant Churches. It was a movement to improve the Church, but the result was even worse.
Since the Protestants were dissatisfied with the leadership of the Roman Church, they almost erased 1500 years of Christian experience of the Church and left only the Holy Scriptures (the Bible). Protestants do not recognize confession, icons, saints, fasting - everything that is necessary for life, correction and salvation of a person. It turned out that they withheld the Holy Scripture, and did not recognize the Orthodox Church, which developed and approved the Holy Scripture. Because they did not recognize the Holy Fathers, who explained a lot Christian faith, and only use the Bible, they created uncertainty in their teaching and gradually many different sects (churches) arose. Now, in the whole world, there are about 25,000 different sects that call themselves Christian! As was already said above, in Protestant Churches there is no apostolic succession. This is one of the many reasons why the Orthodox Church does not recognize them as churches, but only as Christian societies.
, a church that acts as the religious center of a parish and is the main administrative unit of the Episcopal System of Church Government. As a rule, churches in European countries are called parish churches. For example, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland operates a system of parish churches that covers the whole of Scotland.
In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, parish churches play vital role in the life of society. Often non-religious social events are held in church buildings. Many villages in Europe have parish churches founded in the Middle Ages.