Metropolitan John on the day of the Baptism of Rus': “Prince Vladimir blesses Belgorod and protects in our difficult times”translated

With the blessing of Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, on July 28, the day of the Baptism of Rus' and the day of remembrance of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the St. Vladimir Church in the village of Razumnoye. His Eminence was served by the dean of the II Belgorod district, Archpriest Sergius Koliy, the rector of the St. Vladimir Church, Archpriest Alexei Moskalenko, the dean of the II Stary Oskolsky Archpriest Alexander Korotky, the clergy of the St. Vladimir Church, Archpriest Ioann Solonina and Archpriest Evgeny Korchukov, the cleric of the Church of the Holy Martyrs of Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, priest Alexander Fokin. After reading the Holy Gospel, Metropolitan John addressed the worshipers with an archpastoral speech, in which he dwelled in detail on the meaning of the Baptism of Rus' and the role of Prince Vladimir in the history of the Fatherland. “Today all Orthodox Rus' solemnly proclaims that we have received the light of Christ’s truth from Prince Vladimir, who appeared as the baptist of Rus'. That’s why He is called Equal-to-the-Apostles,” the bishop emphasized. He noted that it was in 988 that “dark, torn by contradictions and civil strife...