A diocese is an ecclesiastical territorial unit headed by a bishop or archbishop. It combines all the churches, temples, monasteries, parishes, prayer rooms that are located on its territory. Each clergyman is subordinate to a certain bishop, the bishops, in turn, are subordinate to the metropolitans.
Gatchina diocese
The diocese is located in the Leningrad region, in its southern part. It belongs to the St. Petersburg Metropolis. The diocese includes the Luga, Tosnensky, Gatchinsky, Volosovsky, Lomonosovsky and Kingisepp regions.
In mid-March 2013, a new diocese was founded. It separated from St. Petersburg and received the name of the Gatchina diocese. Bishop Mitrofan was appointed ruling bishop.
On the territory of the Gatchina diocese there are two monasteries: Makaryevskaya Hermitage and Cheremenets Monastery.
Cheremenetsky Monastery was built in the 15th century. There is a legend according to which one of the serfs appeared to the holy image of John the Theologian. Aftersuch a miraculous phenomenon, Prince of Moscow John ordered to build a monastery on the very spot.
The construction of the monastery on the Makarievskaya Hermitage dates back to the 16th century. Its founder is Macarius the Roman.
Currently, restoration work is underway on the territory of the Gatchina diocese of the female Pyatogorsk Bogoroditsky monastery in the Volosovsky district in the village of Kurkovitsy.
Bishop Mitrofan
On November 19, 1972, in the city of Rostov-on-Don, a boy was born in the family of a priest, who later became Bishop Mitrofan. He graduated from high school and entered the construction college. And in 1990 - to the Minsk Theological Academy. Already in 1992 he received the post of deacon. A year later, he was ordained a priest and assigned to work at the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Rostov.
Training continued at the Moscow Theological Seminary at the correspondence department. In 1994, Mitrofan was tonsured, and a year later he graduated from the Moscow Seminary.
In 1998 he was ordained to the rank of abbot. After that, the training continued. In 2007 hegumen Mitrofan graduated from the Theological Academy in St. Petersburg.
Since 2009, hegumen Mitrofan has been appointed chairman of the restoration commission at the St. Petersburg diocese. Here he worked until 2013.
March 12, 2013 was appointed Bishop of Gatchina and Luga. This decision was made by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Deaneries included in the diocese
A diocese is a part of a diocese thatcombines several parishes. The Gatchina diocese includes the following:
- Gatchina District Deanery;
- Gatchina city deanery;
- Volosovskoye;
- Tosnenskoye;
- Slantsy Deanery;
- Sosnovoborskoye;
- Luga;
- Kingisepp District Deanery.
Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle
The Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle is the center of the Gatchina City Deanery. The rector of the temple is Archpriest Vladimir Feer. The construction of the temple began in 1846 and was completed in 1852. After the construction was completed, it was reconstructed several times. This is a beautiful and majestic temple. Its interior decoration delights the parishioners. Residents of the Gatchina region love and appreciate the Pavlovsky Cathedral in Gatchina.
Pilgrimages
Gatchina diocese is famous for its pilgrimages. You can find out information about upcoming pilgrimage tours on the official website of the service.
The head of the pilgrimage service is Priest Fyodor Lavrentiev. All questions about upcoming trips can be directed to him. The Gatchina diocese accepts proposals from abbots of other monasteries, heads of pilgrimage organizations and other persons who are interested in these trips.
Departure is carried out directly from the parishes of the diocese. To attract pilgrims, the management not only posts information about future trips on the website, but also sendsoffers to churches and monasteries of other dioceses.
Saints of the Gatchina diocese
Centuries earlier, the following Saints lived in the current diocese:
- Reverend Seraphim Vyritsky;
- Reverend Martyr Tryphon Gorodetsky;
- Priest Martyrs Dmitry Chistoserdov and Alexander Volkov;
- St. Macarius the Roman;
- Reverend Martyr Maria Gatchina.
The Gatchina diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church is an association of certain parishes, temples, churches and monasteries. This is a fairly young diocese. It was founded in 2013. The head of the Gatchina diocese is Bishop Mitrofan.
