Archpriest Anthony Shvarev conducted a lesson for employees of the penitentiary systemtranslated

July 8, 2026 · 1 min read

Archpriest Anthony Shvarev, assistant to the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Penza region for work with believers, conducted a spiritual and educational lesson for employees of medical unit No. 58 and correctional colony No. 7. The priest told the audience about the natives of the Penza region who were canonized. Such meetings help preserve the memory of outstanding fellow countrymen and remind us of eternal values - faith, mercy and selflessness.

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

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Samuel Taylor

Good to see Father Antony keeping the memory of our local saints alive with the prison staff. The bit about faith, mercy and self-sacrifice is exactly what people in that line of work need to hear on a tough day.

Adam Nowak

It's good that Father Antoni talked about our saints from Penzenska. I remember reading about Saint Innocent of Penza, it always impresses how much a person can endure for the sake of faith. In a job like theirs, it's probably helpful to be reminded of mercy.

Роман Киселёв

It’s good that the priest spoke specifically about our Penza saints to the staff of the colony and the medical unit. We also have such meetings in Yekaterinburg, they remind us that mercy is needed even in the hardest work. I wonder which saint he singled out this time?

Rachel Miller

I like that he focused on the local Penzenskie saints – it makes it feel closer to home. The reminder about mercy and self-sacrifice is spot on for prison staff dealing with tough cases every day. Wonder if he mentioned St Innocent of Penza, like Adam said.

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