At the end of July 2018, with the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill to Valaam Transfiguration monastery received the relatives of those killed last spring in a terrible tragedy at the Mall “Winter cherry” in Kemerovo. On Balaam arrived eight families from Kemerovo, reports patriarhiei.
“Here today relatives of the victims, and of course we see how many people we meet, communicate, have compassion and share the grief. Hard to find words of comfort for relatives, but because of the love, respect and empathy for people with whom we communicate, the hearts of relatives calm down, get warm,” he said, accompanying the group, Archpriest Alexander Moskalev, rector of the Church of St. Barbara the city of Kemerovo.
Myself and a group of pilgrims, he expressed gratitude to the Governor of Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery Bishop Trinity Pancras, Director of the Orthodox cultural and educational center “the Light of Valaam” hegumen Methodius (Petrov) and the brethren of the cloister for the reception.
Pilgrims were organized excursions to monasteries and temples of the monastery. Relatives of the victims attended Church in the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, where they had the opportunity to partake of the Holy communion. The blessing of the Bishop of the Trinity Pancras in one of the temples of the monastery were commemorated victims of the tragedy Kemerovo. From the educational center “the Light of Valaam” pilgrims from Kemerovo were presented with gifts.
In late August, the Valaam monastery is preparing to take another group of pilgrims who lost loved ones on March 25.