Chronicle

August 23, 1998 – the first taking the veil was held – a sister became a nun. This happened in the vicinity of Minsk, in Domoshany village at St. John the Theolog Convent. When we returned, crossed rainbows – a sign of God’s mercy.

August 22, 1999 – this day is regarded the birthday of the Convent. His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret during his visit to the Sisterhood blessed “priest Andrew Lemeshonok together with nun Elisabeth (Sysun) to prepare documents for registration of a nunnery in honor of St. Martyr Elisabeth” and tonsured novices Larisa Leiko, Lia Shilenkova and Elena Laptik into Rassaphore.

September 27, 1999 – the Cross was consecrated on the day of Exaltation of the Crossand erected at the cupola of the church. “Lord, save Your people”, the gathered people sang after His Eminence. Dispensationally, the Metropolitan came after noon, when the weather was fine and the sun showed so the Cross shone in all its beauty.

December 10, 1999 - a long-awaited event happened. The crypt church of the Convent in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker was consecrated. It was real Easter joy – His Eminence, many priests, sisters in white and monastic vestments, a new-looking lighted church. Two Rassaphore nuns were tonsured into small schema and four novices became Rassaphore nuns that night.

March 24, 2000 – The consecration of the first cells and housewarming of the nuns was held.

April 16, 2000 – His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret laid a capsule into a temple in honor of the “Derzhavnaya” icon of the Theotokos being constructed near the Convent on the day of Praise of Theotokos. The St. Martyr Great Princess Elisabeth comforted us with her visit that very day: the rector of the House of Mercy Protopriest Feodor Povny with his parish presented us an icon of St. Martyr Elisabeth with a part of her relics.

The Divine Liturgy has been held in the convent church every day since Easter 2000.

On May 5, 2000 the Sisterhood confessor Father Andrew Lemeshonok and sisters brought the relics of all the reverend Elders of Optina from Optina Pustyn. In the meantime our icon painters painted a icon of the Synaxis of the Optina Elders and the relics were put into it. On October 24 it was consecrated during the festive Liturgy. The brothers who live by the Convent and work for God’s glory read Akathist daily before this icon, asking the Reverends for help on their way to God.

In February 2001 the first issue of the Convent newspaper “Vstrecha” was published.

April 20, 2001 is considered to be the birthday of the metochion of the Convent in the village of Lysaya Gora (Bald Mountain), situated near Minsk.

In July 2001 holidays for the children of sisters and brothers of the Sisterhood was organized at the metochion. Several children from boarding homes also got a chance to have holidays. Children from the boarding home and dwellers of psychoneurology boarding home for adults also went to the metochion many times for day trips.

In September 2001 a meeting of the confessors, sisters and brothers of the Sisterhood with a founder of communities that provide help to mentally challenged people Jean Vanier (France) was held in the assembly hall of the boarding home #3. The patients of the boarding home prepared a wonderful concert, and Mr. Vanier shared his rich experience in relationship and rehabilitation of the mentally challenged people.

In November 2001 by blessing of His Eminence Philaret, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk and Archbishop of Grodno Artemii the dwellers of Minsk boarding home for orphans #7 and the Sisterhood of the Convent together with Father Andrew Malahovsky visited Grodno. They returned from Grodno with a part of relics of St. Martyr Gabriel of Bialystok, which was put into an icon of the patron of kids.

On November 15, 2001 Father Andrew Malahovsky brought a part of the relics of St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). The icon of this saint with his relics is in St. Elisabeth Church.

From the beginning of 2002 the Divine Liturgy resumed at the Rehabilitation Center of the Republican Clinical Psychiatric hospital. It is held every week on Thursdays.

In February 2002 a part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was brought to the Convent. On April 24, 2002 the sanctity was put into a church icon for general worship by Metropolitan Philaret.

On April 24, 2002 the confessor of the Convent and of the Sisterhood Father Andrew Lemeshonok was made Archpriest, nun Euphrosinia was made Mother Superior of the Convent with laying-on of pectoral cross.

On May 14, 2002 the foundation of the church in honor of Resurrection of St. Lazarus was held at the Northern Cemetery of Minsk. The Metropolitan Philaret solemnly laid a capsule, then a funeral service was held. Symbolically, the church under construction is located opposite the crematorium to denote the victory of life over death, of light over darkness.

Since mid-September 2002 prayers services with Akathist to St. Nectarius of Egina have been held at the boarding home for mentally challenged children every week on Saturdays. A church in honor of St. Nectarius is planned to be built on the territory of the boarding home.

The feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God in 2002 was significant for the brothers and sisters who care for children staying at the 2nd ward of the Republican Clinical Psychiatric Hospital, because they were allowed to commemorate all the main twelve feast, and to give communion to children regularly.

The long-awaited event happened on the day of Iverskaya icon of the Mother of God on October 26, 2002: by the blessing of His Eminence the first Divine Liturgy was held at the metochion. Since that day the Divine Liturgy is held at the metochion every Saturday. It is still held in a chapel built in the house for nuns who have their obedience at the metochion, but we expect for soon consecration of a church in honor of the "Inexhaustible Chalice" icon of the Theotokos.

The sisters began incessant reading of the Psalter since late 2003 in the monastic church in honor of St. Nicholas.

A bishopal Liturgy was held on Saturday August 14, 2003 in the church in honor of St. Peter and Paul in Zhukovka village. After the consecration of the church His Eminence visited the metochion of the Convent for the first time. He talked to the dwellers of the metochion, inspected the farmstead and the buildings of the fraternity the church under construction.

A notable event happened in December 2004. A part of relics of St. Martyrs Grand Princess Elisabeth and nun Varvara. The sisters of the Convent were meeting and seeing off their Holy Patroness, prayed before her holy relics in the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Minsk.

On January 12, 2005 the St. Elisabeth Church was consecrated and our Mother Superior was made hegumeness. We feel that this joy was somehow connected with the fact that the relics of St. Martyr Grand Princess Elisabeth were brought to Minsk during Christmas fast.

On May 10, 2005 the Resurrection of St. Lazarus Church at the Northern cemetery was consecrated.

In September 2007 the nuns moved to a new living block.

We could not mention all the event of our life. There were a lot of events, both joyful and sorrowful, in the eight-year history of the Convent. New sisters were coming to the Convent, they were taking the veil, some died withing the walls of the Convent. Orthodox exhibitions are always an important event in the life of the Convent, especially those which take place in our city. Many sisters have to put aside their usual obediences, and those who stay in the Convent have to bear double burden. However, it is in such minutes that the love of sisters to one another and to the Convent is tested, abilities and drawbacks of each sister can be easily seen, the unity of the Convent is emphasized.

The construction in the Convent is going on - the Sisterhood House, the Sunday school, the Pilgrim House and a belfry are planned to be built.

Wondrous are Thy deeds, O Lord!