St Patrick honoured in Belarus with first Orthodox church

The church – the first dedicated to “St Patriky, the Enlightener of Ireland” by an Eastern Orthodox Church – was blessed and officially opened on the grounds of an Irish-funded orphanage in Belarus.

The Church of St Patrick at Vesnova, in southern Belarus, was funded by the Belarusian Orthodox Church, and was dedicated to the saint as a tribute to the work of Irish donors and volunteers for the past 25 years in transforming the lives of the children and young adults who reside in Vesnova.

Statement

A statement from the Chernobyl Children International (CCI) explained that “when first discovered twenty-five years ago by volunteers from the Adi Roche Chernobyl Children International (CCI) charity, Vesnova was a children’s mental asylum”.

“Today it is a world class childcare centre. CCI has invested more than €3 million in the centre and hundreds of Irish volunteers have worked on construction projects there,” the statement continued.

CCI CEO and founder Ms Adi Roche, who was awarded the Belarusian Orthodox Church’s highest honour – The Medal of Saint Kirill of Turovskiy (first degree) – said they were “honoured” by the church’s dedication.

“The people in Vesnova are our dear friends and neighbours, and so we share with them in loving friendship and care for our dear Irish saint,” Ms Roche said.