Hieromonk John (Novikov) gave farewell words to the players of the Arsenal clubtranslated

August 6, 2026 · 1 min read

On August 4, 2026, the rector of the parish of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Energetikov, Dzerzhinsky district, Hieromonk John (Novikov) visited the Arsenal PFC in the city of Dzerzhinsk.

The priest addressed the leadership, coaching staff and football players with parting words, wishing God's help, strength of spirit, fair play and sporting success.

At the end of the meeting, Father John sprinkled those present and the club premises with holy water.

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თორნიკე კვარაცხელია

It's good that Father John told the football players directly about fortitude and fair play. Water blessing is also needed in such places. Today my boy will practice on the school playground, maybe he will be blessed like that.

Petru Dumitrescu

Father Ioan did well to speak directly to them about honor and spiritual strength, not just about victories. Holy water on the field and in the changing rooms is always good, especially when the boys run around a lot. Here in Timișoara, when I went to practice with my grandson, the parish priest did the same before the championship.

Anca Tudor

And here in Sibiu, the father from the neighborhood church once came to the training of the children from the sports school and told them exactly like that, to play honestly and not to argue on the field. Holy water on the changing rooms really helps, especially in the summer when it's dusty and tired. Father Ioan did well.

Ilie Ionescu

And at our place, at a football match with the boys from the parish, the father once came after training and told them the same thing - not to argue and to play honestly. The holy water on the changing rooms really cools the summer, you're right, Anca. Do you think he would come to an official match if we asked him to?

Larisa Munteanu

Yes, our father did the same after a summer training session – hanging out in the locker room really cools us down. I think he would also come to an official match if you ask him ahead of time, especially if the guys play fair. Have you tried asking him yet?

Олександр Савченко

It is good that Father Ioann directly spoke about fair play and fortitude, and not only about victories. We also had a similar case in Lviv, when a priest from our church sprinkled boys with holy water before a tournament at the school stadium. Maybe our "Karpat" footballers should invite one of the priests.

Larisa Stoica

Yes, here in Sibiu, the parent from the neighborhood church did the same with the children from the sports school. I thought it was nice that he mentioned honor before any victory. Do you think the holy water actually helps them focus better on the field?

Teodora Popescu

Yes, and in our church choir, we heard from the father that the holy water on the changing rooms does a good job in the summer, especially when the boys come dusty from training. It seemed to me that father Ioan put the emphasis exactly on honor, not just on victory, as Anca also said. Do you think we should ask ours to come to a senior game too, not just the kids?

Marius Ciobanu

Yes, you are right, the emphasis on the honor of the game is the most important, not just on the score. Here in Craiova, I also saw how the holy water cools the changing rooms in the summer, especially after those dusty training sessions. Do you think your father would agree to come to a senior game too, or is he busy with the choir?

Ion Nistor

Yes, honor in the game is essential, otherwise victory is worth nothing. At our place, after the father came to the locker room last summer, the boys really calmed down before the match with CSM Constanța. Do you think he would come to you more often if we offered him to bless the field as well, not just the locker rooms?

Alexandra Marin

Yes, honor in the game really matters more than trophies. With us, father Ioan is always on the road between services and the choir, but he also went to other local teams. Do you think that in Craiova the holy water also helps with injuries, or does it just cool the air?

Corina Stan

Yes, honesty in the game is essential, otherwise what is the point of victory. Here, father Ioan often visits the teams in the area, especially when he is invited. I think the holy water helps with both – both the injuries and the air in the locker room – but the prayer behind it matters most. Did you attend any blessing in Craiova?

Ioana Stoica

Yes, honesty in the game really does make a difference, otherwise you end up winning only on paper. Here, in Craiova, the priest from the neighborhood church came once to the junior team from the University, but not very often. You say that the prayer behind the holy water is the most important - have you ever felt a concrete change after such a blessing?

Andrei Lungu

Yes, honor in the game is all that matters, otherwise victory is worth nothing. Here in Craiova, the father from the parish of Sf. Dumitru once came to the neighborhood children's soccer team and talked to them about exactly that, not just about trophies. You say that holy water also helps with injuries - have you seen any concrete cases?