A solemn meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of our Sunday school was held on October 19, 2008. The first students and teachers of the school were invited to this meeting. During tea with a cake baked by nuns slides from the history of the school were viewed. Music shows and jokes enhanced this wonderful meeting. Spiritual joy and gratitude to God filled the hearts of all the participants of the meeting.

Sunday school in honor of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love and their mother Sophia has existed in St. Elisabeth Convent since 1998. The school principal Sr. Halina Shpakova shared her experience and told us about the life of the Sunday school.

– Sister Halina, can you tell us the history of St. Elisabeth Sunday school.

– The history of the Sunday school is closely connected with the history of the Sisterhood and the Convent because it all began simultaneously. When the construction of the church began, Father Andrew blessed the sisters to visit the nearby houses and ask people whether they would like a church to be here. It occurred that there were few of those who felt pleased with that. People said that if the construction of the church had begun, there would have been lots of trucks with humanitarian aid, etc. But nobody spoke of the spiritual life. I was afraid that there would not be a church at all. I could not imagine how the parish life would be organized. Then I thought that first of all a Sunday school must be organized. If children went to Sunday school their parents would see how wonderful it is. I suggested that to Father Andrew and he gladly agreed. But when we returned from the first tonsure at Domoshany and held a meeting at the refectory, which was not quite like our present refectory for it had neither windows nor doors, Father Andrew said that we had no opportunity to open a Sunday school because there was no place to study. I talked him into it under condition that I would do everything myself.

So we spread ads that a Sunday school would open up its doors. I remember a boy who ran to us. He was seven. He was out of breath. The boy asked me, “Where is Sunday school? Can you put my sister who is five and me into the register”. I was happy that the children were coming to us themselves. I felt that everything was not in vain. The Lord would help us.

At that time, we had only one room for all our needs. During the day it served as a carpenter’s shop, at night it was used as a guard-box, and on Sundays it was a Sunday school room. The guard fired a metal stove, which puffed much smoke, so when we came into the room our eyes watered. However, we were happy to have our own place.

The first teacher in our school is now Father Anthony. However at that time he was just Anton, a boy who was brought by one of the sisters. I am very grateful to him because it was he who I learned from. I had used to be an economist, not a teacher. Thanks the Lord that everything went well.

– Can you tell us about the Sunday school today. At what age are the children eligible for the school? How many years do they study? What do they do at classes?

– We have a four years schooling period. At first we decided that it would last for three years because we lacked space. However, our children study for three years and do not want to leave. So we decided to have them for another year and created a senior group which has classes in the second shift. Our school also has a youth group and a boarding home group. People from the boarding home are adults but they are much like kids. There are five teachers who work with them and they practice an individual approach. The classes begin with reading the akathist “Praise the Lord for everything”, then some learn how to speak, some are taught writing, or reading, or singing. These people are happy to have an opportunity to leave the boarding home, even once a week.

As far as school requirements are concerned, the most important for us is whether a child wants it or not. When parents come with their children, I always ask a child, “Do you want to study at Sunday school yourself or is it what your mum wants?” Children study differently if they have willingness. We feel that. Children are eligible for our school since seven years of age. The youth group consists of young people over eighteen. I cannot speak of certain age limits because if a six-year-old child wants to go to school we do not prohibit them. We regard this as a sign that this child was brought by God.

The classes in our school last 45 minutes, and then children attend the Divine Liturgy where they take the Communion. The classes are called “God’s Law”. During the first year we teach the children to make the sign of the Cross and pray, we show them a church, we read fairy tales about virtues, teach them the ABC of Orthodox Christianity. Later we deal with more serious issues. The Old Testament and a part of the New Testament are core subjects. Then there goes a little bit of the Slavonic language. Children learn the alphabet of this language during their second year, and during their third year they make attempts to read Slavonic texts. For example, teachers prepare sheets with a proverb, a prayer and some pictures corresponding to the topic of the class. All these proverbs and prayers are written in Slavonic so that children can practice it. We do not attempt to teach them liturgics, for I believe only a priest has a right to do that. Praise the Lord that Father Peter agreed to teach liturgics to a group of teenagers.

– What else do the children do besides studying the God’s Law?

– At first Father Andrew blessed the Sunday school not to be the same as a comprehensive school. We watch movies and then discuss them. Children rehearse for plays about the church feasts. They participate in restoration of Belarusian monasteries and have links with Orthodox fraternities. Many of them work in the convent’s workshops and participate in Orthodox exhibitions. We organize a pilgrimage to the relics of St. Sophia of Slutsk every year at the eve of her commemoration (April 1). The holy relics are in the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Minsk. Now we plan a trip to old churches of Minsk.

– What is the role of a Sunday school in the life of a child, in your opinion? What qualities does he get when he attends the school?

– One of the main goals of our Sunday school is the creation of a community, a united Christian family. The classes are expected to help the children and their parents to conceive the Christian faith consciously. An adult becomes eager to participate in the life of the Church more deeply. Speaking of what qualities a child gets… I think the most important quality a child receives is love. His heart changes. They see the ill people from the boarding home and they have a different attitude towards them, they feel compassion and become ready to help. The children take the Communion every Sunday. I believe that the children who come to our school will not do anything bad. The grain of holiness inside their hearts is growing…

– Thank you for a concise and informative talk, sister Halina.