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05 June 2013

The meeting with Chonburi governor

Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, visited Chonburi province administration, where had a meeting with Komsan Ekachai, Chonburi's governor. During a constructive dialog, father Oleg told the official about the life of Russian-speaking community of the province (mostly located in Pattaya), about current problems and ways to solve them. Both sides put precise questions and received clear answers. Russian business people and a vice-consul of Russia in Thailand Alexey Falunin also took part in the meeting.

Father Oleg presented Mr. Ekachai with St. Nicholas medal, that was awarded to the governor by St. Nicholas Foundation in Moscow, for his work in strengthening the friendship between the nations.

In the photo: The meeting with Chonburi governor

26 May 2013

Thai citizen accepted into Orthodoxy.

After the Divine Liturgy in St. Nicholas parish in Bangkok, archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, performed a ritual of accepting Anuson Boontim, 24 y.o., into Orthodox Church.

Anuson was previously baptized in the anglican church, so his acceptance into Orthodoxy did notrequire baptism. After denouncing Protestantism and firmly confessing Orthodox teaching he was accepted into the Church via the Sacrament of Anointing. He was given a Christian name of Anatoly, in honor of St. Anatoly of Nikodimia (feast on 23 April / 06 May).

This concluded Anuson's 6-month long catechesis with priest Danai (Daniel) Wanna. During that time Anuson has been a regular parishioner of St. Nicholas church and visitor to Dormition monastery in Ratchaburi, where he has been carrying out different household tasks. After joining Orthodoxy, Anatoly received the Holy Communion and was warmly congratulated by other members of the Church, who made a celebratory dinner in his honor. In line with parish tradition, father Oleg presented Anuson with the icon of Saviour and said that he hopes to see further spiritual growth of the convert. Anatoly expressed his gratitude to everyone and asked father Oleg that he may be sent to Spiritual Academy in St.Petersburg, since he would like to become an Orthodox priest.

Anuson Boontim, Anatoly in Orthodoxy, after the acceptance into the Orthodox Church.

19 May 2013

New Orthodox Church in Hua Hin will bear the name of Holy Royal Martyrs.

Orthodox Christians of Thailand decided on the name for a new church that is planned to be built in Hua Hin. Clerics and parishioners agreed to consecrate it in the name of Holy Royal Martyrs.

The reasons for the choice were:

• Hua Hin holds a summer residence of His Majesty the King of Thailand
• St. Martyr Tzar Nicholas II Romanov visited Hua Hin, when he came to Siam in early XX century
• Year 2013 marks 400th anniversary of Romanov Royal Dynasty

Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, supported the believers in their decision and sent it to the church authority for confirmation.

During the discussion, parish council of Trinity Church on Phuket offered that, if the new church will take the name of Royal Martyrs, the revered icon of St. Princes Tatyana could be given to it. The icon is currently stored in Phuket Church and holds a true baptismal cross of the Princess. Also, one of the parishioners is planning to give to the new church the icon of Protection of Mother of God, that comes from Tzarskoye Selo, a summer residence of Romanov dynasty before the Revolution. Both items were legally bought from private collections in the USA.

Sacred objects from A. Hummer collection, planned to be transferred to Hua Hin church.

15 May 2013

A plot of land bought for a new church in Hua Hin

Representation of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand and Fund for Orthodox Church in Thailand considered a request by believers of Hua Hin (Prachuap Khiri Khan province)––to build an Orthodox Church in this popular resort town.

People of the Representation surveyed the position of Orthodox believers in the area, negotiated with local government and tourist authorities and studied numbers of tourists from Orthodox countries coming to Hua Hin, as well as expected growth of these numbers in years to come. The fact that Orthodox Christians in Hua Hin currently have to travel more than 120 km to the nearest church in Dormition Monastery in Ratchaburi was also taken into account. The decision was made to:

- buy for the ownership of the Fund for Orthodox Church in Thailand a land plot in Hua Hin up to 800 square meters in size and, with the blessing of the hierarchy, to start building a new church. Approximate building time-line is years 2013-2014.

According to the decision, father Danai (Daniel) Vanna, Chairman of the Fund for Orthodox Church in Thailand visited Hua Hin on May15 and concluded the deal of buying the land plot.

• A size of the plot is 800 square meters, 20 m wide and 40 m long.
• The plot is stretched from West to East so that the church may be rightly placed on it according to canons
• It is located in central Hua Hin, in walking distance from central driveway of Patkasem street (900 meters by Soi 102).

Approximate budget of the building project is 12,000,000 ТНВ (about 400,000 USD).

This project will not affect the progress of St. Nicholas Church construction in Bangkok, which is the main strategic task for Orthodox Representation at the moment. The funds reserved for the new Bangkok church are kept in a separate bank account and cannot be used for any other expenses.

It is still being discussed, which saint or a sacred event should give the name to the new church in Hua Hin. Local believers did not consent about it yet.

Resort town of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province

09 May 2013

Victory Day celebrated in Thailand.

By the blessing of archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, Russian business community organized major festivities on important Russian high-day of May 9th, the anniversary of the victory in the Second World War in 1945. As usually on this day, veterans of Great Patriotic War were invited from Russia and 10-day vacation in Pattaya was funded for them by sponsors. On May 9th thanksgiving prayers were made in All Saints Church in Pattaya and panikhida sung for all who died in the war. In the evening a concert and a banquet were made in one of the best hotels of Pattaya. Speakers from Russian Embassy, Thai Government and Tourist Authority attended the festivities to hail veterans.

In his speech to veterans and all the people, father Oleg marked great heroic deeds of the people in achieving the Victory and said that all generations coming after the war are in eternal debt before those who fought in it.

For his good standing with Russian-speaking community in Thailand, mayor of Pattaya Ithiphol Khunplume received St. Nicholas medal from St. Nicholas Foundation in Moscow. The award was presented to him by monk-priest Mikhail (Chepel). Festivities were concluded by bright fireworks.

People at Victory Day festivities in Pattaya

05 May 2013

CELEBRATIONS OF HOLY EASTER IN THAILAND AND CAMBODIA

This year joyful celebratory services were held in all Orthodox churches and parish in Thailand, as well as in Cambodian cities of Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

In St. Nicholas parish in Bangkok the Paschal Liturgy was served by archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand. This is likely to be the last Pascha celebration in current makeshift church made from a rented house, where Bangkok believers have been celebrating the great day for more than a decade. The new church is being built in the capital at Sukhumvit Soi 101/1, its consecration is planned for the end of this year.

Thanks to the support of Kuban diocese in southern Russia, the service was accompanied by singers from Yekaterinodar Seminary. People of different nations joined in prayer and the service was sung in Russian, Thai and English.

On the evening of May 5th Paschal evening service was held and than parish council invited everyone to dinner.

Midnight Paschal service in St. Nicholas church in Bangkok"

Major celebration of Pascha took place in All Saints Parish in Pattaya, where priest Danai (Daniel) Wanna, Chairman of the Orthodox Church in Thailand Foundation, was carrying out the service. By the blessing of archbishop Mark, Head of the Department for Foreign Institutions of Russian Orthodox Church and with the help of St. Nicholas Charity Foundation in Moscow, the celebration was attended by singers of Bolshoy Theater and Russian Opera Theater from Moscow, who sung all the hymns during the service.

Traditionally the main Paschal troparion (“Christ is risen from the dead...”) was first sung thrice by Greeks living in Pattaya. The Church was full on Paschal night, many people prayed in the church yard as well.

Pattaya police watched over safety of Paschal procession through the streets of the town. The processions are usually made around the church yard, but this time it was impossible, because of the multitude of participants. The celebrations were covered by several local TV channels.

In Trinity Church on PhuketPaschal Liturgy was served by priest Alexey Golovin and parish choir was helped by students of Yekaterinodar Seminary from southern Russia.

On Great Saturday, one day before Pascha, came traditional consecration of Easter cakes, colored eggs and cheese desserts. On the night of Pascha itself a lot of people joined in a sacred procession.

Phuket television made a special story about the main Orthodox feast, telling about its meaning and traditional way of celebrating.

Paschal service in Trinity Church on Phuket (2013)

In Ascension parish on Samui island Paschal service was carried out by the cleric of Yekaterinodar diocese hieromonk Feofan (Dudik) and the student of Yekaterinodar seminary Alexander Merkulov. Construction of the church building on Samui is almost finished and services are about to start this June. Since the island is quite far from Bangkok, it was a true missionary journey for the clerics, crossing long distances to bring Paschal service to believers.

Paschal service in the unfinished church on Samui.

For the first time, Paschal service also took place in Dormition monastery in Ratchaburi. It was carried out by hieromonk Mikhail (Chepel) and priest Vyacheslav Nikishin from Adygea and Maikop diocese in southern Russia, who were temporary in Thailand at the moment. The singers were Vladimir Buntilov, assistant to the Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand and brothers of the monastery. Believers from Hua Hin, a popular sea resort town 120 km from the monastery, also came to celebrate Pascha there. Next year an Orthodox church is planned to be built in their town as well.

Paschal service in Holy Dormition monastery

After the service a Paschal banquet was held. Brothers of the monastery invited all the clerics of Thailand to serve together on the Bright Wednesday on May 8th.

Orthodox Representation in Thailand is also in charge of supporting believers in nearby Cambodia and has a special care about creating church communities in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. In Cambodian capital the service took place on Bulgarian Embassy grounds, where there is a small church of St. George. By the blessing of Bulgarian Orthodox Hierarchy, Mr. Svilen Popov, Chargé d'affaires of Bulgaria in Cambodia, helped to prepare the church for celebrations.

Paschal procession in Phnom Penh (Cambodia).

In Sihanoukville celebratory services were held on secular premises, specially prepared for it.

Priest Roman Bychkov from Trinity Church on Phuket and his wife Xenia, a choirmaster, were sent into Cambodia to carry out the services.

Consecration of Easter cakes, eggs and sweets in Cambodia.

Unfortunately, this year Orthodox Representation in Thailand did not find means to send anyone for Pachal festivities in Laos. But the problem of spiritual support of Orthodox Christians in Laos is an important point on Representation's next year agenda.

01 May 2013

Easter number of Orthodox Thailand issued.

On the threshold of Holy Pascha, 2000 copies of Orthodox Thailand newspaper were printed out in Bangkok. The issue includes stories about the meaning of Christian Easter, answers of priests to believers' questions about the Resurrection Day and a celebratory letter by His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia.

Of special interest are the memoirs of Mischel De Valerie, a deputy chairman at St.Nicholas parish in Bangkok, who tells about celebrations of Pascha by Russian immigrants in Paris in early 20th century. The other interesting part are stories by Thai citizens who converted to Orthodoxy. This issue is the first to include a Thai-language section, telling about the coming of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem at Easter night. The main editor of this issue is father Alexey Golovin. The paper is distributed among all Orthodox parishes in the Kingdom.

Easter number of Orthodox Thailand.

30 April 2013

Progress in building new St. Nicholas church in Bangkok

Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, and his assistant Vladimir Buntilov visited the construction site of the new church in Bangkok and surveyed current progress of the building. Father Oleg admitted that works in general are going according to the schedule. At present the foundation and the basement are completed, underground storage rooms are arranged and concrete bases of walls and temple dome are raised up. Concrete staircases are partly completed also.

At the same time the construction on an office building for the Representation of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand is going on. The foundation, the basement and concrete bases for first floor walls are finishes and the second floor construction has begun. According to the head of the construction company, all building and decoration should be complete in late September–early November 2013. A slight time lag is possible if floods or heavy rains strike in the upcoming wet season.

Construction in progress (April 2013)

29 April 2013

An album of spiritual songs issued by the students of Sunday school on Phuket.

The CD was issued by the blessing of archimandrite Oleg, Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, on the threshold of joyful Pascha day. 1000 CDs will be distributed among Orthodox parishes in Thailand, and all the received donations will be sent as a financial support to poor local families.

"Resurrection Day" - a song from the album.

26 April 2013

Relics of St. Martyr and Healer Panteleimon to be brought to Thailand in December 2013.

An arc with the relics of much-reverend saint will be brought to Thailand and Cambodia for spiritual strengthening of Orthodox believers, from Tomsk city in Central Siberia, where they are currently kept. The sending was blessed by Rostislav, Metropolitan of Tomsk and Asino, on the request of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, with the consent of Department for Foreign Institutions of Russian Orthodox Church.

The relics will spend two weeks in Thailand and Cambodia and will be brought to all Orthodox parishes in these countries. Precise dates and schedules of services will be announced later.

An arc with the part of the relics of St. Martyr and Healer Panteleimon .