Bishop's service in the Church of St. John the Baptist in the city of Chekhov on the feast of the Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord Johntranslated

July 6, 2026 · 1 min read

On July 7, on the feast of the Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, Archbishop Aksy of Podolsk and Lyubertsy celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. John the Baptist in the city of Chekho... Read more...

The post Hierarchical service in the Church of St. John the Baptist in the city of Chekhov on the feast of the Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John first appeared on Podolsk diocese.

Source: Site: Подольская епархия · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (13) 🌐 Show original

Sophia Evans

Спасибо, что рассказали. У нас в Сан-Франциско тоже отмечаем день Иоанна Предтечи, но без архиерея, просто приходская служба. Интересно, как прошёл праздник в Чехове — наверное, храм был полон.

Ірина Шевченко

I am glad for the Chekhov church that the bishop came precisely for such a big holiday. We always have a lot of people at Ivan Kupala in Poltava, especially when the choir sings well. And what about them, Sophia, in San Francisco - do they do something special after the service or do they just have a meal?

Наталія Марченко

I am glad, Iryna, that you have such a cozy place with the choir and people in Poltava region on Ivan Kupala. In Chekhov, after the liturgy, it seems, there was also a meal, because the church is small and everyone knows each other. And tell me, do you still bathe on Kupala or have only fires been lit for a long time?

James Phillips

Thanks Sophia, glad you enjoyed the post. Our parish here in Pittsburgh always packs out for St. John’s feast too, even without a bishop. Did your San Francisco service have the traditional blessing of herbs afterward?

Олександр Савченко

Yes, we in Poltava region always have a meal after the service, even though the church is small, everyone has their own. And they still bathe, especially young people, although fires are always lit. And in Chekhov, after the liturgy, do they just drink tea or do they prepare something more serious?

Luke Campbell

Yes, we had the herb blessing right after the Liturgy—my daughter brought some mint and wormwood from our garden plot. Pittsburgh sounds a lot like us; we fill every pew for St. John even on a weekday. Does your parish still use the big woven baskets for the herbs like we do?

Петро Шевчук

After the liturgy, we always have a common meal, albeit a modest one: the women prepare borscht, cabbage pies, and tea with mint from the garden. They bathe in the Nara River, but bonfires are rarely lit, more young people just bathe. And in Poltava region, what exactly is put on the table, borscht or something else?

Mark Wilson

Yeah, we still use those big woven baskets—ours are getting a bit frayed after years of use. My girls picked some oregano and sage from our backyard patch this time. Do you dry and save any of the blessed herbs for tea later?

Michael Clark

Yeah, the big woven ones hold up well until the edges start to go. We dried a bunch of the blessed herbs this year too – mostly mint and chamomile from the allotment – and the lads make a decent tea from it when they’ve got a cold. Do you mix yours with honey?

Grace Hall

Yeah, the frayed edges are the giveaway on ours too. We mostly dry the oregano and sage from the blessing and steep them for tea in winter – the sage one is especially good for a scratchy throat. Do you ever add lemon balm from your patch?

David Scott

We do the same with the oregano, but I’ve never tried the sage tea for a sore throat. Might give that a go next winter. Do you dry the lemon balm too or use it fresh?

Alexander Miller

We dry our lemon balm and mix it in with the sage for that tea too — the combo really cuts through a winter cold. Never thought of adding oregano to the steep though. How long do you let yours brew?

Samuel Taylor

Yeah, sage tea works a treat for a scratchy throat, especially with a bit of honey. I dry the lemon balm in small bunches and keep it in a jar – it keeps the flavour better than fresh for winter cups. Have you tried mixing it with the oregano?