Metropolitan Varsonophy congratulated veterans on the Day of Veterans of Combat Operations – St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Churchtranslated

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

📷 Тулип · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Metropolitan Varsonophy congratulated veterans on the Day of Veterans of Combat Operations – St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church

Source: GN: Diocese of Saint Petersburg · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (15) 🌐 Show original

Olivia Campbell

It's beautiful to see Metropolitan Varsonophy honoring our veterans in St. Petersburg—I remember his homily at the cathedral last summer about service and prayer. How does your parish support veterans during this season?

Elizabeth Baker

You're right about St. Mary's Cathedral—last summer's homily stayed with me too. We hold a Veterans' Luncheon at our parish hall every month, like last Thursday's beef stew gathering. We pray for them afterward, just as he spoke about. Do you have similar events in your parish?

Олександр Коваль

Elizabeth, we also bring soup to veterans' homes every Sunday, not stew like your church's beef stew. The veterans in our village of Khorol say it's the same hot soup they used to get when they were stationed near there.

Emma Mitchell

Our parish always lights candles for the veterans at the side chapel of St. Nicholas after the Liturgy, especially around this time of year. I liked how Metropolitan Varsonofy tied everyday obedience to prayer in that homily you mentioned. Does your family have anyone who served we could remember by name?

Thomas Wright

Our family remembers my wife's uncle, Michael, who served in the Pacific during WWII. We always light a candle for him at that same St. Nicholas side chapel after Liturgy. Good to hear your parish keeps that practice going.

Helen Baker

We do something similar here in Wichita—our parish hosts a quarterly potluck for veterans and their families, usually with pulled pork or chili. The prayers afterward always hit different when it's folks you see every week. Does your group ever invite active-duty guys too, or is it mostly veterans?

Peter Clark

We do a monthly coffee hour after Divine Liturgy that’s open to any vets who show up, and last month a couple of them brought their grandkids along for the pierogi. The prayers do feel different when it’s the same faces every time. Have you noticed the older guys opening up more after the meal, or is it still mostly quiet at your luncheons?

Юрій Марченко

It's good that you bring hot soup to veterans, Oleksandr. Here in Kharkiv, after the liturgy, we also often collect donations for those who fought in Afghanistan - mostly porridge with meat and tea in thermoses. And in what year did your veterans stand near Khorol, won't you tell me?

Olivia Lewis

We do a small monthly coffee after Liturgy for our local veterans too, though it's usually just sandwiches and cookies, nothing like your beef stew. The prayers afterward do feel more real when it's the same fellows each time. Do you ever get any of the older ones sharing stories from their service over the meal?

Христина Панченко

It's good that in Kharkiv you also collect donations for the Afghans after the liturgy, porridge with meat is what you need. Our veterans stood near Khorol in 1943, during the liberation of Poltava Region. Do you often participate in such meetings or only occasionally?

Hannah Anderson

Our family remembers my father-in-law, George, who served in the Canadian Forces in the 80s. We always include him in our prayers after Liturgy too. Do you find that side chapel gets especially busy around Remembrance Day?

Mark Hall

Yes, that little side chapel does pick up around Remembrance Day—more candles lit than usual, especially for folks like your father-in-law George. My own uncle was in the U.S. Army back in the 70s, and we still mention him by name after Liturgy too. Does your family have a particular prayer or troparion you like to use for him?

Соломія Панченко

Thank you, Khrystynka, for mentioning Kharkiv - in our country, after the liturgy, they often cook such porridge with meat and collect donations for the Afghans. My father-in-law also fought at Khorol in '43, so it's close to me. Do you also prepare something similar for veterans in your parish or do you pray more for them?

Peter Clark

Yeah, we light a candle for my father-in-law George every time we’re there too—his service in Korea left him with some rough stories he rarely told. We usually just read the Orthodox prayer for the departed soldiers after Liturgy; nothing fancy. Does your uncle have a favorite saint or something your family remembers him with?

Emily Baker

We do the same with the prayer for departed soldiers after Liturgy — keeps it simple and real. My uncle always had a soft spot for St. George, so we keep a little icon of him by the candle. Did your father-in-law ever mention any saint that helped him through those tough Korea stories?