Prot. Dionysius Dunaevsky. About the meeting with high school students in Kokhmatranslated

On September 30, 2026, on the Day of Remembrance of the martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, high school students from city schools gathered in the spiritual and educational center of the Holy Annunciation Church in the city of Kokhma. The guys joined the all-Russian film campaign “Faith, Hope, Love in Russian Families.” Archpriest Dionysius Dunaevsky, head of the department for youth affairs of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk diocese, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.

The conversation began with the lives of the holy martyrs - three girls who two thousand years ago gave their lives for the faith. But then we moved on to a topic that concerns not ancient Rome, but ourselves: what happens in the hall when on the screen there is grief that suddenly ceases to be alien? And why is someone suddenly laughing at this moment?

Teachers and priests often notice: when teenagers are shown deep, truly tragic or touching stories, a cynical laugh is heard in the audience at the most difficult moments. Adults often conclude: “What a cruel, callous generation!”

But this is a deep mistake. Teenage laughter at such moments is not cruelty. This is a classic defensive reaction.

When faced with the intense pain of others,...