The celibate priest-healer in only in Belarus Deserts

Kobrin → Creativity of fellow countrymen → Marchuk Nina Grigoryevna

According to the decision of the synod of the Belarusian orthodox church at the beginning of anniversary year, the 2000 anniversary of Christmas, near the village of Hmelevo of Zhabinkovsky district Hmelevskaya of Deserts was formed of Spaso-Preobrazhenskoye of arrival only in Belarus.

Deserts are a small monastery (a religious community of the monks who accepted uniform ascetic rules of life, church and premises) in the place remote and rich with history.

Today 5 men's and 8 convents work in our republic. Only the Zhirovichsky Sacred and Uspensky man's monastery was not closed for all history of the existence. Hmelevo, that in five kilometers from Zhabinki, people call the Saint the place"! On one of the weekend I specially visited these places.

Really, something is there! In the place, lonely, remote from the village, on the beautiful small hill, in an environment of the pine wood there is blue Church of the Transfiguration. Crosswise in the plan, with a pentahedral apse (an altar ledge) and two vestries. The church is constructed in 1725, put on the Transformation holiday (the Second Saviour). In the 19th century it is partially reconstructed, then near the temple constructed a wooden belfry.

History of the birth of this temple is interesting. Nearly three hundred years ago these lands belonged to the hetman of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. And in those places in a manor of the local landowner there was a fire. The chapel (small cult Christian construction) burned down. But in ashes the icon of the Mother of God of Chenstokhovskaya (though a pisana it on a canvas) was imperishable which was found by the landowner after in a dream to it the Mother of God was with an order. With an image in hands the landowner looked for the place for construction of new church... But there is no more picturesque place in vicinities there, than the place where the temple is built. A height, it seems, and small, but okrest it is far visible there. Though uphill, but it is easy to go (legs bear). Near church the big well-groomed cemetery operating and until now.

The prior of Church of the Transfiguration – the celibate priest father Serafim (in the world Vasily Ivanovich Petruchik), local, from Zhabinka.

The sixth year serves the father Serafim here. And after his prayers began to help people, the father had an idea to create on this place the man's monastery with the status of the Desert. The place was pleasant to the lord Brest, to the archbishop Konstantin (now deceased), and he blessed the father Serafim on the monastery device. After blessing of the lord for the expired half a year the brotherly case and a refectory are constructed. The foundation for one more case is laid. In the long term – a cemetery chapel and a lodge for the prior. In the village of Hmelevo it is bought and the house under hotel for assistants is equipped. All construction is conducted on pozhervovaniye. It seems, the church and not small, but does not accomodate everyone therefore on steps of the temple loudspeakers are installed. On the church yard there are a lot of benches, it is also possible to listen to service on the street.

I spent nearly a day among parishioners and pilgrims. During a small break I nevertheless managed to approach an icon of the Mother of God of Chenstokhovskaya. Big, under glass, in a beautiful gold salary, the icon is on an iconostasis at the left. On an icon the Mother of God with the child on hands. On the heads of both crowns, around the heads – shine – a sanctity symbol.
Some recovered as a token of gratitude leave gold chains, rings, crosses on an icon. It is a lot of. I asked about healings assistants and parishioners. Who has a grief, that is not especially garrulous. But, having looked at registration plates of the cars standing at gate of monastery, I understood that for the help go from far away.

About cured legends go. About them I was told by local parishioners. Here several stories of healing. Tell about the man to whom doctors pronounced a terrible sentence – cancer. But after visit: The Hmelevsky Desert of the patient was on the mend.

Tell about the boy sick with epilepsy. After the father Serafim's prayer the boy recovered. Especially remember the ten-year-old girl at whom legs refused. The father served over it a prayer, and the girl herself came in a week in church.

That day when there were I, there was a church service. The father about eight main passions: chrevougodnichestvo, adultery, srebrolyubiya, anger, grief, despondency, vanity and roughness. And suddenly to some lady it became bad: she began to shout, writhe, cry... The father Serafim approached it, prayed – and she began to calm down.

And the dean father Serafim continued: "Who deposed the first three from the main passions, that deposed together and five last, but who will not give rise about deposition of the first, that will not win against any. Our sins – the reason of misfortunes, troubles and sufferings, and receives punishment through diseases for whims of people...".

The father Serafim does not like to speak about the gift. And his novices told me so: "It is the Lord cures, and the father Serafim only the applicant. And time of people came to the temple, wants to help itself, and the prior a little will help it".

Indeed so!

And still a defender and the healer in Hmelevskaya of the Desert is the icon of the Mother of God of Chenstokhovskaya. Not so long ago in church there was a theft. Stole also an icon of the Mother of God. But thieves were caught. And when the father Serafim was invited to identify the stolen things, he, without looking, took a parcel. There was also an icon of the Mother of God of Chenstokhovskaya.

And now about the celibate priest, the father Serafim. He is 36 years old. High, with correct and beautiful bones of a face, with black, as a resin, a beard and hair, swarty. To me it was remembered his brown shrill eyes. From his look pronimat a shiver. Though with whom I spoke, all note his natural kindness. In Kobrin art school where he once studied (today the school has a status of the highest), it is remembered by both the master, and teachers. They noted this kindness too.

After school the layman Vasily Petruchik went to the Zhirovichsky man's monastery. Five years was a novice, then accepted also a name the Seraph, in translation – ardent tonsured. Perhaps it and conformably his idea of creation of a monastic monastery?!

And not only prayers novices are busy. In possession of the monastery already 30 hectares of the earth, it is necessary to complete the yard. And only in free time it is possible to write icons, to do candles and to bind books.

"The newspaper for you", 2003

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